


Shadows Sins of the Past

by JoACurl



Series: Dark Shadows Barnabas and Vicki pairing [1]
Category: Dark Shadows (1966)
Genre: 1845 story line, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-04-25
Packaged: 2018-05-20 18:11:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 63,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6019954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoACurl/pseuds/JoACurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Victoria Winters finds herself thrust into the year 1846. Failing to kill Petofi in 1796 she now races against the odds and time to finish what she started in 1796 now in 1846 and that is to prevent Quentin from returning Petofi's hand and finally killing him. The fate of Daphne and Quentin lay in the hands of Victoria and Barnabas will they succeed?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Shadows Sins of the Past

Chapter 1

Professor Stokes House

1968

Time was still frozen, time had stood still and the residents of Professor Stokes' home were trapped again in a time warp and suspension of time. When the spirit of Julianka of the past disappeared the others turned to peer at each other. "How are we going to help her with this?" Barnabas turned to face Elliott and Julia, glancing to Quentin who finally lifted his head from his arms.

"I used George Patterson to come back through the stairway of time I am not sure what happened to him, I should go back to make sure he made it back." Quentin turned to once again traverse through the forty-seventh parallel and enter the doors to Collinwood in ethereal form. He walked into the drawing room to find George slumped in a chair appearing to be sound asleep. Walking to his side he checked to make sure he was not dead but was as he hoped sleeping.

"I brought him back Quentin, but Victoria is not out of danger. She is now in the time when she will be tested again and this time there are no others there that could protect her. She is with you as we speak and you think she is . . . "

"Joanna Mills, Daphne's sister." Quentin responded and sighed softly. "I have to return to that body so I can make the right decision and not give him back his hand or we all are doomed." He paced to the foyer and looked up on the landing to the second floor was Josette she smiled and shook her head.

"No Quentin this time it is for Victoria to convince you that you should not abandon your wife Jennie and you should not give up the hand that Magda secures for you. To go back with the knowledge you have now you will make too many mistakes that will affect us all in this timeline. So, you should return to your body and allow Sarah and I to see that Victoria is directed to do what she was sent to do and that is destroy Petofi." Josette disappeared from view. When she had Quentin felt his own body begin to dissolve.

Opening his eyes he glanced up and sighed softly, "We must not interfere with what is about to happen. I saw Josette and Sarah, and because she did not kill Petofi she has been sent to 1846 to finish what she should have done in 1796." Quentin slumped down on the table. He was exhausted and he just wanted to sleep at this point. At least he did not have to worry about Duke Henri. Quentin was reliving those memories of so long ago, when he first laid eyes on her in front of Collinwood and he had mistaken her as Joanna Mills. Sitting back he began to remember the memories as if they were fresh and were just occurring for him.

Collinwood Estate

1846

Vicki turned to peer at Quentin, "What did you just call me?" She faced Quentin and studied him realizing he was the original Quentin with those memories and none of her because they had not met in the future. Quentin cocked his head and studied her, then with that charming and devilishly delicious disarming smile chuckled.

"Why I called you Joanna that is who you are is it not?" He took her elbow and started to lead her to the porte conchere. Vicki tugged her arm from him and looked around and sighed softly. She had no idea whom this Joanna was suppose to be but she was going to make it know at this time she was not Joanna Mills.

"Sir, you are mistaken, I am not Joanna Mills. I fear there has been some sort of mistake. My name is Victoria Collins; I am married to Barnabas Collins. I was to meet my husband at the old house is this not the old house?" She stepped back from him and played her part well looking around curiously. She watched the slow easy smile spread across his face and he bowed.

"Well if that is who you wish to be today that is fine by me. It is an honor to meet you Mrs. Collins. However, as Barnabas Collins moved to England some years ago, and would by my estimation be very old by now I cannot see how you could possibly be married to a man that very well may be dead." He gave her a half mocking bow. He continued to study her and felt there was somewhat of an affinity between them. They were attached and he felt the draw to her and wondered what had changed about Joanna to bring about this delusional thought she was not Joanna. "As for this being the old house, the old house lies in that direction and is about a ten minute walk. Would you care for an escort to meet this fictional husband you claim to have?"

Victoria stood back turned to look at the pathway she knew would take her to the old house instead she had already planned to go to the mausoleum and awaken Barnabas from his captive sleep. She knew she could rely on him to back up her claims. Turning back to peer at him she shook her head. "No thank you I really do not believe it will be necessary to have an escort to go and find my husband. I thank you for your offer Mr.?" She knew she had to play it out and pretend she had never met him in order to see through her assignment and to return home to her Barnabas.

"Collins, Quentin Collins and this is Collinwood, the big house. The house you are seeking is through the woods. I fear though my mother gave the gypsies living there permission to reside in the home while they are living on the property. So, if you think you will be allowed to live there I fear that is a grave mistake."

Victoria knew that Joshua had granted the Old House to Barnabas when Joshua and Naomi had relocated to Collinwood. She merely nodded her head and spoke softly. "Thank you Mr. Collins for your help. I can assure you once I am with my husband we shall clear up any misconception as to who has a right to occupy the old house." She turned and felt his hand clamp down over her arm and she was unceremoniously jerked around to face him.

"Cocky little thing are you not. I think you have played this game a little too long and it is time for you to realize you will be expected to be here for dinner. I might add I am sure your fiancé' my brother Edward would not be amused by this claim that you are married to a fictitious Collins family member. Go run along and see for yourself the old house and I shall see you at dinner." He released her arm and turned entering into the vestibule of Collinwood to come up short, looking into the drawing room he saw Joanna Mills standing with her sister Daphne. Turning he watched the tiny figure of Victoria Collins disappear into the wood line and he chuckled. "Well, well, well there are two of you this will be interesting."

Eagle Hill Cemetery

Vicki walked quickly to give the impression that she was going to the old house when she got to the fork in the path she took the one that lead directly to Eagle Hill Cemetery. Walking quickly along the pathway she paused to look around she was sure she heard she was being followed and was not happy if Quentin had decided to follow her. Picking up her skirts she began to run towards the Collins family mausoleum reaching the iron gates she pressed into the gate hearing it squeal in protest at being forced open. "No one has been here for a while obviously." She muttered softly, walked into the crypt area and looked around.

Naomi, Joshua, and Sarah laid to rest and it seemed so sad that they were here and no one had come to pay their respects. "Hello Miss Winters." Vicki smiled and spun around Sarah sat on her sarcophagus pitching her ball. "I have been waiting for you and so has Barnabas. Only he is not your Barnabas in this form. He is my brother that was cursed by Peter Bradford." She clutched her ball close to her chest. Sliding off the top of her resting place she turned and smiled. "I missed you and I am glad you will be here with my brother."

Vicki walked to her and stooped down, reaching forward holding her shoulders. "Do you know why I am here?" Vicki spoke softly she needed a little more information. This time she needed to know who was on her side and who was not.

Sarah hugged her and spoke softly in her ear. "I know you have to keep Quentin from giving Count Petofi back his hand and this time you are going to have to do what you did not do the last time." Sarah stepped back paused looking to the door to the mausoleum. "You were followed, I have to go now. You should come back at dusk and help Barnabas get out." In her way she had placed a light kiss on her cheek stepped back and faded from view. Vicki stepped back into the shadows and watched the door.

A dark figure wearing a heavy cloak walked to the door peering in to the room. Vicki hoped she was hidden from view. The figure tried the door and found that it would not open for him. Frustrated he stepped back and from her corner Vicki could hear another voice outside the door. "Hello, were you looking for something or someone?" She could hear Sarah and thought she was the reason the stranger could not enter into the mausoleum. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard his voice.

"Hello there little girl why are you not in school?"

Vicki held her hand over her mouth to keep from gasping out his name. Mentally she shuddered, "Trask!" She continued to listen to Sarah speak so innocently sweet to that man that sounded so much like the man that had created so much grief for her in the past, surely this was not the same one. Vicki listened to Sarah while she conversed in her oh so innocent voice.

"I do not need to go to school. Why are you here?" Vicki edged to the window to peek out at the two. Trask stood dressed in a large hat and cape, he stood in superior form over Sarah's smaller form.

"What do you mean that you do not have to go to school? You are a child where do you live?" He folded his arms and frowned down at the child whom he had never seen before. "All children around here should attend school and you should be in school now or in your home now what is your name and where do you live?"

Sarah stepped back and looked around, shrugging her shoulders she pointed to the mausoleum. "I live there that is why I do not need to go to school. I know who you are Mr. Trask. You are not a very nice man. You hurt people and you should go now because it is getting dark and you will be here in this cemetery with the dead and it won't be safe for you."

Trask laughed and then reached forward to grab Sarah and found his hands passed right through her. He fell back astounded. "What deviltry is this? What kind of spirit are you?"

Sarah laughed and faded from view, "One that watches you and knows what you do." He could hear her childish giggling with her disappearing from sight.

"This was a figment of my imagination. It did not happen." The wind began to pick up and the sound of howling moans of a thousands seemed to surround him causing him to take flight and run from the cemetery.

Secret Room Collins Family Mausoleum

"He is a silly man and mean, you will need to avoid him Miss Winters, now you need to hurry, and enter the secret room. Barnabas will be awake in an hour." Sarah smiled then disappeared from sight leaving Vicki to shiver in her thin dress. Taking a deep breath she walked to the lions head pulled the ring and waited for the door to open. On silent hinges the door opened exposing the darkness inside, stepping down the stairs, Vicki closed the door and waited for her eyes to adjust. Walking to the nearest candelabra she took the flint and hit it against the edge of the metal frame, starting a spark, she removed the candle and using the same method lit a candle.

Getting one candle to light she lit the other five and stood back and sighed, now all she had to do was wait for an hour and open the casket. Looking around she found an iron post and lifted it and began to work on the chains that had held the casket closed. One by one she worked the chains off and broke the locks. Stepping back she dropped the post on the floor. Bracing her back to the wall she rested and waited. Looking at the locket that held a watch she smiled, it was time to open the casket and release the man that would some day be her husband.

Pushing off the wall, she took a deep breath and knew he had lain in this state for over fifty years he would need blood and she was prepared to give him her blood, she owed it to him. Putting fingers on the casket she found the release and slowly raised the lid. Looking down into the startled gaze of Barnabas by instinct he reached up and grabbed her by the throat. Using his own strength against him, she grabbed his hand and pulled it free and staggered back rubbing her throat and waited for him to exit the coffin. She watched him shift to mist floating to the side of the coffin to slam it with a powerful force. "MISS WINTERS?" He was shocked to see her.

Vicki nodded her head and spoke with a soft rasp he had held her throat tighter than she had expected. "Yes, Barnabas it is I. I have to speak with you and I know that you will not be able to understand what I am saying until you have feasted, so I am offering you my blood to help you." She titled her chin up and exposed her neck to him.

Barnabas was astounded to say the least and he was not sure what trickery or act of witchcraft this was. "Give me one reason why I should not kill you now!" He growled not sure if this was some of Bradford's or Angelique's trickery. He was at her side and in amazement watched her put the coffin between them before he could grab her throat again. "You disappeared and we did not know what happened to you. Then father . . . "

"Chained you in this coffin because he could not bring himself to kill you Barnabas and for that I shall be eternally grateful. You Barnabas Collins are recorded in history that you went to England, your Uncle was not shot but suffered an accident and Josette threw herself from widows hill and no one knew it was because of Peter Bradford or what he did to you." Victoria watched him pacing his movements. When he made a move to attack her she countered his moves with faster ones of her own.

"How is this possible that you can move faster than me? What has happened to you Victoria Winters that you can best a vampire or his powers?" He decided to hear what she had to say. He watched her; his own needs now filled with bloodlust. He could hear her heart beating fast he could smell her sadness and was curious as to why she was not afraid of him.

Vicki took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I am going to tell you about me Barnabas and how I know so much about you and your family. That is because I come from the year 1969. I traveled through time and space to come back to right wrongs in your timeline. When I had stopped the total destruction of your family line by saving Daniel. I was thrust once again back to my time where I met you Barnabas, where we fell in love and we are planning on being married, but before we could set our wedding date, I died. Your life force and that of your cousin Quentin's who by the way is an immortal was used to bring me back to life." Vicki began to carefully lay out all the details of what had brought her to this point. She watched him study her and the look of incredulity lay on his face until she said one thing.

"You may not wish to believe this but Barnabas I would lay down my life to you now and not use your own powers against you if I thought for one moment that someday I will be back in 1969 planning our wedding. I love you that deeply that I would allow you to end my life now." She stepped around the coffin walked slowly towards him never letting her gaze fall from his. She stood in front of him lifted her chin and closed her eyes. "So, take my life, take my blood and end my life now if I cannot have your love again in the future Barnabas." Her words had grown so soft and were filled with such anguish he looked at her, grabbed her arms, and jerked her hard against his body.

She went limp in his arms and laid her head on his chest and waited for death to welcome it. He held her and something in him began to hear reason in the beat of her heart. "Victoria look at me." He spoke softly waiting for her to lift her chin and look up into his eyes. Peering into her eyes he saw something he had never seen before. He saw his life with her in the future, he saw a look of hope and the undying love she held for him. "You love me?" He spoke softly against her neck, he could hear the blood rushing through her veins, he could hear the soft beat of her heart. He felt her pliable and willing in his arms.

"With all my heart my love. I love you enough that I would die for you this night if that is what it takes to make you understand I need you now. We are in the year 1846. I am trapped in time away from you. We just fought hard against a very evil influence that had taken over your house in the form of your cousin Henri and his friend Count Petofi, he threatens our family in the future." She felt him stiffen with the mention of Petofi and Henri.

The longer he held her the more he was pressed to drink from her to take what he needed. Pushing her away from him he turned his back on her. "I cannot be with you Victoria, I will take from you and I do not want you that way." Victoria pulled his arm tugging him to face her and she smiled.

"My darling, my most precious one, you might take me to the brink of death. You may almost take everything I am from me, but thanks to you and to Quentin, I will recover. I can be killed but not by your drinking from me. You can break my neck, shoot me, trample me with a horse and carriage but you cannot kill me by taking from me. I replenish my supply a lot quicker than most because of what you and Quentin shared with me. So, please my love do this for me so I can keep you safe in this time." She bent her neck and closed her eyes.

Gently at first he took her in his arms and lowered his lips to her neck. Slowly he bit into her neck and held her head in his hand to keep her from jerking away and tearing her throat open. He drank deeply until he heard the beat of her heart slow. Withdrawing from her throat he carefully lowered her to the floor watching her close her eyes. Going down on bended knee he lay next to her while she slept from his feeding from her. There was so much more he needed to know. She said they were in the year 1846. Obviously he would need clothing and a place to stay other than this mausoleum. He needed to protect her. He did not know why he needed to protect her but he knew it was his duty to do so.

Looking to the door he looked at her and made a decision. Rising he spoke softly, "You rest my dear, I shall return." Walking quickly to the secret door he triggered the switch and waited for the door to open. When he stepped out into the main room of the family mausoleum he noticed the three sarcophagi and his father's name and date of death. Turning he stopped his lovely little sister Sarah stood in the corner and smiled.

"She tells the truth Barnabas. She has come from the future to right a wrong she did not finish in our time. You will need to find clothing an you will need to watch her closely so she can complete her task or she may die in this time and you won't be married in her time." Barnabas stepped forward happy to see Sarah seemed to be happy now in her ethereal state.

"Sarah sweet Sarah. Did you bring her to me?" He stood in his 18t century clothing. Having noted when Victoria came to him she was still wearing a dress he had seen her wear many times before. While Sarah stood before him in the day dress she had been buried.

"Yes, I directed her here and that evil Mr. Trask tried to interfere with us but I sent him on his way. You must go to the old house and seek the hidden money Poppa hid there for you along with the deed to the house. There are strangers at the old house and you need to make them understand that they need to help you and Victoria. They do not realize she is part of their tribe, she is half Romano but they will think she is not of their people." Sarah drifted into the corner and smiled for her brother before she faded from view.

Josette's grave sight

Barnabas now had a direction to move in and he had a purpose and she lay on the other side of the door to the secret room. Turning he shifted to mist form and drifted into the cemetery that now filled with the curling tendrils of fog that obviously was rolling in from the ocean. Reforming he stood and looked down at the tombstone he had materialized before and sadness filled him. The name written on the tombstone was Josette duPres Collins. Knelling by her grave he ran his fingertips over her name and spoke softly. "I was not the husband you needed, Jeremiah was and now you and he are gone. Know this my love no one could have loved you as much or more than I had. Now I am here and I want you to know I will take care of Victoria as you always expected me to and I will make you proud of me and not afraid and before I die, I will make Bradford pay for what he did to the both of us." Over head the sky lit up with lightening and the ground vibrated with a roll of thunder smiling Barnabas turned and headed to the old house and a new beginning for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Appearing in the center of the drawing room of the old house Barnabas surprised the new tenants. The male a heavyset gypsy stood and blustered. "How dare you enter our home!" Barnabas was quick and grabbed him by his throat lifting him off his feet he dragged him to Barnabas' chest, bent his head and bit deeply into his neck. Barnabas only took enough blood to get him under control. Releasing him Barnabas stepped back. "Now, who else lives here?" Barnabas stepped to the fireplace and looked with disgust at how badly the house had deteriorated. It had seen far better days than now.

Sandor Rakosi shifted uneasily and weakly on his legs. "My wife Magda. She is over at the big house because the proud lady of the house Mirs Harriett wanted her cards read." Barnabas turned looking around at the condition of the house. Walking to the stairs he cringed at the thought Josette's room was a wreck. Turning back he walked to the cellar and noted it was locked.

"Where is the key to the cellar?" He demanded. Looking around he knew he could not allow Victoria to come back here until this place was cleaned from top to bottom. He spun around and glared at Sandor. "Well, what happened to the furnishings and the key to this door?" Barnabas forcefully walked towards Sandor and noted he huddled back from him.

"I . . . I don't know. Magda were given permission to live here for a while as long as we were here in this dark place." Sandor turned around and walked to the entrance to the drawing room. "The furniture was taken to the third floor attic. The place was filled with spiders, wild life, and rats. We only took three rooms upstairs at the back of the house." He watched the dark one pace back and forth as he spoke.

"I want you to come with me, you will need to bring a wagon, do you have one?" Barnabas needed to move Vicki back here as soon as possible and out of the mausoleum and he needed his coffin hidden and knew he could temporarily use the secret room behind the bookshelves in the drawing room. He looked at Sandor and waited for his answer.

"Yes, we have a wagon and a horse. I will go hitch the horse to the wagon and meet you out front." Sandor lumbered towards the rear of the house, and from Barnabas' sight but not his control. Barnabas took time to walk up the stairs and to Josette's room, opening the door he was surprised to find the room was one of the only rooms he had seen in the house that only held cobwebs and fifty years of dust. Ripping the bedding from the bed, he walked to the linen closet and in quick order made the bed up. Turning he looked the room over and knew the room would need a good cleaning and then this could be Victoria's room. He did not need people in the house that he could not trust so he was beside himself as to how he could control his safe keeping through Sandor.

Going to the fireplace he laid tenders and started a fire, hearing the wagon and horse out in front of the house, Barnabas turned with a dramatic flare of his cloak and paused standing in the door way was a gypsy woman. She was dressed in garishly loud colors draped with silver jewels around her neck and wrist, she was skinny, with brown eyes and long black hair and he immediately surmised must be Magda. She now narrowed her eyes and glared at Barnabas. "Who are you? And what do you want 'ere!" She swished into the room skirts flying about her ankles and the jingle of her jewelry. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Barnabas.

Barnabas drew himself up and glared right back at her. "I am the owner of this house and you my dear woman are trespassing on my property." Barnabas had lowered his voice and his eyes glowed an intense bluish color. He watched her gasp drawing the back of her hand to her mouth. Turning her back she reached into her pocket and withdrew a cross holding it in front of her.

"Strigoi! Be gone devil! Sandor! Sandor!" She skittered past Barnabas watching him cringe at the sight of the cross. Magda Rakosi made it to the door when Sandor appeared and took the cross from her hand.

"Give me that Magda, he is our Master now." Once again Magda Rakosi gasped covering her mouth, eyes wide, looking at her husband wearing a cloth around his throat. Breaking free of her husband's hold she reached forward ripping the cloth away from his throat and saw the markings on her husband's throat.

"NO! NO! The monster marks you. The strigoi has you in his hold. I will find a way to fix this Sandor my love I promise!" She laid her head on his chest and was glad to hear his heart beating normally. Turning she flashed eyes filled with anger and outrage. "What you want with us 'ere dark one?" She blocked Sandor from entering the room and even appeared to be trying to protect her husband from further attacks from the man in the room with them.

"I want this room cleaned, and I need clothing from this time for myself and my friend. She deserves better than this, she is a lady of some breeding and she will be my bride some day." Barnabas looked over the head of the dark haired wench and locked his gaze on the man that was her husband. "We will need people here that can be trusted and the woman that accompanies me must be protected. She is here for a reason and it will be up to her to tell you what will be that reason."

Magda wanted to spit at his feet but knew better, so she begrudgingly walked further into the room. "Is she your eternal mate?" She saw he must care for her because he had changed the bed and attempted to clean things.

"No, she is living and breathing like you and she is important to you and your people if you are of the Romano tribe." Barnabas let her think about that for a moment. If this woman thought Vicki might be important to them she might make and effort to make her welcome and not mistreat her and if she did, he would bite her too."

"Why you say that? What she got to do with the Romano family?" Magda was interested. Anything that had to do with Johnny Romano was of import to her and she would go directly to Johnny to tell him. She could not see a member of the people becoming attached to a strigoi. She walked closer to Barnabas narrowing her eyes holding that glare.

"Because she is a Romano." Barnabas said softly. Leaning down and close to Magda forcing her to back away from him with a hint of fear but more anger filling her. She swished those skirts around and looked at Sandor.

"If she be of people how come she with you? No one of the people would be with a strigoi." Magda curled her lip showing the thought of such a thing as one of the most disgusting things she could imagine.

Barnabas was growing tired of her detaining him from Victoria and he needed to get back to her. He did not want her dying on him or getting sick from lying on the floor of the mausoleum. "You may ask her once I bring her back, now clean this room and do a good job and I might let you and your husband stay and pay you for your services." Barnabas looked to Sandor. "Are you ready to bring her back?"

Sandor had stepped into the room, handed the cross back to Magda and spoke softly to her. "Here Magda for me do this, please. He said he has coin and will pay and if she is truly Romano we will be in King Johnny's good graces. Now I go with him to bring back the woman and his coffin." Magda looked with the evil stinkl eye towards the walking dead one and growled low to her husband.

"I do this for you because I love you and if she is Romano I will know they all bear the mark." She turned and began to strip the bed he just made. "If a member of Johnny's family come here she has to have clean bed linens and a clean room. At least you made a fire now go bring her back."

Collinwood Drawing Room

Daphne sat before the fire, Joanna going missing had worried her and now she had no memory of where she had gone. She knew that an argument between her and Edward had set off a chain reaction of events. It culminated in Joanna being observed in the arms of Quentin in the gazebo. In shame and obviously a panic Joanna had disappeared, run off and was missing for over a two weeks. Daphne had been so upset over her missing sister that she had paid little attention to Quentin and his antics. He had tried to cajole her and then convince her that the kiss that was observed was nothing more than a stolen kiss against her will. Daphne sat there remembering that night she had caught her sister and Quentin together.

Two weeks earlier late evening Collinwood gazebo rear garden

Daphne had gone looking for her sister. She had heard the argument earlier between Joanna and Edward in the drawing room. He had accused her of sneaking around with Quentin and he was belittling her to the point she had dashed from the room in tears. No matter the denials she had tried to utter in her defense, Edward had been ruthless in his condemnation of her little sister. Marching into the drawing room she stood eyes flashing, beasts heaving and color high. "How dare you Edward! How dare you condemn my sister for what your first wife did! Are you that insecure that you would rather think the worse of Joanna? I think sir, you owe my sister an apology. It is you she loves and you she chose to marry!"

Edward had turned on her and snarled, "Then why did Gabriel say he saw them together? What has he to gain from telling me such lies." Edward had marched to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a stiff drink and downed it quickly. "My brother is notorious for taking advantage of sweet innocent women like your sister. Why I even heard he had you in his bed chambers not long ago."

Before he realized it she was in front of him slapping his face, narrowing her eyes and snarling at him. "I can honestly say I have never been in his bed chambers. I was in your bedchambers to help a maid clean your room because her help had become ill and was taken to her room. However, would you dare say my actions by being in your bed chambers were any less honorable than my sister being in his bed chambers to assist the same maid?" Daphne was on a rant and was not about to give up; or to make Edward to see what she had to say was the truth. "So perhaps your brother was mistaken as to the intention of either of us being in your bed chambers or his bed chambers. You would condemn her for being charitable and giving? Shame on you Edward shame on you!"

Edward had the good graces to look contrite, turned mumbling softly to him self and left the drawing room to slam out the front door. That is when Daphne had went in search of her sister. Walking out the front door she checked the front patio and not seeing her there had stepped to the back garden. Walking into the garden she heard her voice coming from the rear garden. Quietly, she approached the gazebo where she was riveted. Her eyes growing wide, clutching her hand over her mouth, her face burning with shame she stood watching Quentin hold Joanna in his embrace kissing her deeply. She could not stop herself from gasping.

Joanna hearing the gasp turned and seeing her sister feeling her shame she pushed against Quentin and dashed from the gazebo disappearing into the night's shadows that surrounded the garden crying out. "Oh no, please Daphne do not look at my shame complete!" Daphne started after her and felt her arm grabbed and she was pulled back against Quentin. Turning she slapped him hard across his face.

"How dare you! How dare you take advantage of her! Let me go you monster!" Daphne felt the sting of tears in her eyes watching her sister disappear from view. "Let me go! I need to bring her back!" Quentin held her close to him, his eyes locked to hers and he smiled dropped his lips to hers and kissed her deeply." Once again Daphne slapped him pulling her arm loose and turned backing away from him. "Do not ever do that again! Do not touch me again do you hear me!" Pulling her skirts around she had dashed off in search of her sister and hearing the mocking laughter of Quentin following her every step. Her face was burning with anger and her heart was racing and she had to admit once her anger began to clear she liked the feel of his arms around her and the press of his lips against hers.

Current time in 1846 Drawing Room Collinwood

Daphne stood walked to peer into the fire and sigh, Joanna had returned but with no memory of where she had been. She had been very withdrawn and locked in her room now for almost two days. Hearing someone enter the drawing room; she lifted her head and peered over her shoulder. Quentin leaned negligently against the door watching her. Daphne felt her body grow taunt she did not know what he would do. He had the graces to stay out of her way over the past two weeks and now here he was again in her presence. "I thought you might like to know I thought I saw your sister today walking from the woods wearing a very old fashioned dress."

Daphne folded her arms defensively across the front of her body and continued to watch the fire. "Really, she does not own any old fashioned dresses." She shifted her weight and kept her voice coolly polite. She did not look at him or turn to face him she just kept her self stiff and correct watching the flames in the fireplace. How they danced around the wood, shifting in color with an occasional sound of hissing as the wood was devoured by the flames, the crackling noise and the way the red embers danced up the flue.

"I am aware of that." Quentin advanced into the room walking to the liquor cabinet and poured a generous portion of whiskey, walking to the chair nearest the fireplace he slumped down and took a long drink from the glass then coughed. "Smooth" he rasped and laughed then set the glass down. "I think you find me a cad do you not? That is why you won't look at me. Well, it matters not there is a woman that has come and says she is a Mrs. Collins and she says her husband owns the old house. Which we find that an impossible statement. Because the old house, which we know has always belonged to Daniel."

Quentin reached for the glass on the table lifted it and took another long drink once again gasping slightly and chuckling hoarsely, "I would hate to see a rough cut of whiskey." He glanced at Daphne and noticed that she had finally turned her attention to him. In her eyes he saw she held nothing but contempt for him. Ignoring that look he spoke softly while gazing into his glass of whiskey. "She does look amazingly like your sister although now I think of it, she has more back bone than Joanna." He shifted his gaze sideways to peer up at her with mocking hidden amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Excuse me, I must go check on my sister." Daphne started past him only to feel his hand grasp her wrist halting her leaving the room. He felt her tug her wrist from his hand and huffed. "I told you to not touch me again and I meant it. Next time, you might find a bullet pressed in your body you did not expect." Daphne with skirts dancing wildly about her feet walked quickly form the room and again from that mocking laughter following her out the door.

Old House Josette's Room

Vicki lay pale and limp in his arms. Barnabas walked into the room and noticed that Magda had cleaned the room and now it held a cozy clean smell to it. Gently, he laid her down on the bed and stepped back. The blood had soaked her gown and dried on her neck. He could hear Magda grumbling about him taking what did not belong to him. Fussing enough to get him from the room, she began to work by drawing warm water to bathe her face and neck. Running the cloth down to her palms, she lifted her hands and ran her fingers over the story that lay in the lines of her hands. Frowning deeply, Magda looked up at her face and a look of awe filled her. Lifting one eyelid she gasped again. This night had been filled with firsts. Sliding from the bed, she rolled Vicki on her side and lifted her hair to look at her neck.

Except for some minor bruising where the monster had bit her there were no marks. Looking her neck over she frowned deeper until she saw something at the back of her neck; lifting her hair more she dropped to the bed and studied the heart shape birthmark on her neck. "King Johnny must be told. The future has come." She carefully ran her fingertip over the heart shape birthmark and she smiled. "Our people live on, I wonder to who she belongs?" From the corner two figures shimmered into view.

Magda nose wiggled smelling the scent of jasmine fill the room, shivering she felt the draft turned over the bed and froze in her place. The two ghostly figures hovered in the corner the outline of their ethereal figures lighting the darkness of that corner. "Magda Rakosi, that woman is the great grand daughter of your niece Julianka. Her grandmother is Juliana and she married a man named Patterson, they will have children and those children will have children. They will not be pure but they are of the people. Victoria Winters comes to right a wrongs of Count Petofi, and you must keep her safe so she can correct what she could not correct in 1796."

Josette floated to the center of the room paused and peered around the room. It was not much different from when Barnabas would make it a shrine to her. The only thing missing was her portrait and it rested now over the fireplace in the drawing room downstairs. She was sure that Barnabas would correct that and put her portrait where it belonged. Sarah walked towards Vicki paused in front of her and smiled. "Miss Winters is resting because she allowed Barnabas to feed from her. He really took too much but she will be all right, she cannot die that way and she will never become as he." Sarah gently stroked her face. "You will like her she is very giving and generous and she is a part of your family and a direct descendent of King Johnny."

Magda looked at the sweet face of the ghost child and frowned. "How come you die so young did that monster kill you?" She was suspicious because Sarah was of a more solid form than Josette. She reached out to touch Sarah and found her hand passed right though Sarah's small body. Sarah turned and smiled.

"I did not let you touch me. No, he was my brother and I died from what they called pneumonia." She sighed softly. "You are a very suspicious woman you should learn to trust more it would make your life a lot more happier than it is now."

Magda turned to look at Josette, "And you how did you die?" She could feel the sadness that seemed to permeate the air around them both so it had to be because of some darkness that had claimed them both. She could not believe that pneumonia was the only reason this small child had died.

Josette drifted to the fireplace, "Another like Barnabas will come. He is the reason Barnabas is the way he is. You must watch him carefully he will bring a witch that has a grudge against the Collins family and this woman. They may try to harm her and Barnabas. They will not hesitate to hurt you or your husband should they feel they are not getting what they want,or they feel threatened. I promise you they will hurt you." Josette heard voices out in the hallway looking to Sarah they both faded from view.

Barnabas entered the room, holding a bag of coins and a rolled old paper in his hands. Stopping he lifted his nose and sniffed looking around the room he could not feel the chill in the room but knew Josette must have paid them a visit. Not showing he knew this had happened he walked to the beside and looked down at Vicki noting Magda had rolled her to the side and exposed her neck. Frowning he laid the bag of coins on the bedside table, the rolled document on the table and gently returned Vicki to her back and brushed her hair from her neck. He was amazed to see the marks were gone and only a light bruising was all that was left of his feeding from her.

"Tomorrow, you will go and buy us clothing befitting a Lord and Lady of this time. You will hire a maid for my future wife, and you will find someone that can help with the upkeep of this house. You will make sure they are not the type that are too nosey and would wish to steel from me because I will punish them quickly and without regret. Do you think you are capable of doing this?" Barnabas had straightened up, reached for the rolled document and the bag.

"Of course I can, I am not stupid. But I can not do this without." She rubbed her thumb and finger together. Indicating she needed money. Barnabas dropped the heavy bag of gold coins into her hands. He watched her open the bag and run her fingers into the bag and was noting she was counting the coins and the slow spread of her lips into a tight smile she looked up and nodded. "I do not need all of this but I use most of it what then?"

Barnabas leaned into her and smiled his eyes glinted and his lips compressed then he spoke very slowly and softly for her to hear him. "Then keep it but do not cheat me or I will take your husband's life first and make you watch me make him into one like me then I will take your life and let you die." He watched the color drain from her face, the fear etched her gaze and she dropped her eyes.

"You no need to worry, I take good care of her, she is family. You I spit on you are monster and you no more drink from her eh? You understand I will curse you more than you already are." She took the coins, with a swish of her skirts she walked from the room with a decided slam of the door leaving him alone with Vicki.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Old House Josette's room

The warm rays of sunlight bathed her face in its glow. Magda and Sandor had left early and knew she would sleep until they returned; the monster had already retired for the morning. So, the Rakosi's knew Vicki would be safe while they went to do the monster's bidding. Vicki with a slow flutter of eyelashes opened her eyes and sat up with a startled look. Quentin Collins stood looking at her sleeping. She was embarrassed because she had been put to bed in her chemise and was now feeling very exposed. "You know you looked like an angel there with your hair all fluffed about your head and the sunlight lighting up your hair to make it glow." He turned and looked the room over. "It appears you were telling the truth and you are not Joanna, so who are you mystery lady and where is your husband and the gypsies that lived here."

Vicki was outraged with his presence in her room. 'I suggest sir, you allow me time to dress and I shall join you in the drawing room to discuss your questions." She had pulled the blanket up to her neck. With a dangerous glaring look she waited for him to leave. Quentin was far from ready to leave, he was more determined than ever to watch and study her in the throes of her discomfiture. "Well?" She tugged the blanket like a shield around her body and waited for him to leave. Instead she watched shocked as he walked to the settee and made himself comfortable.

Feeling frustrated with his effrontery to her delicate position, she dragged the blanket from the bed, pulled it around her body, and marched to her dressing room. Slamming the door behind her, she muttered softly while her face burned with embarrassment. From the other side of the door she could hear his soft chuckle. Walking to the meager wardrobe she had, she pulled a day coat off the rack and frowned, it was definitely dated for this time and it would show as an obvious lack of knowledge to their surroundings. Pulling the day coat over her gown she cinched the waist tight. Pulled her hair out of the coat, opened the door and walked to the vanity table, where she found Josette's silver brush and comb. Sitting down she studied her image in the mirror and she could see Quentin out of her peripheral parked comfortably on the settee quietly watching her brush her hair.

Standing he walked to stand behind her. When she reached up to draw the brush through her hair, she felt him capture the brush. "You keep tugging at your hair like that and you will pull yourself baldheaded my dear." He began to gently brush her hair, lifting it in his long fingers to feel the silkiness of her hair. "So you going to tell me who you are and what your husband's name is so we can at least offer you a proper welcome?" His words were filled with charm and his smile was an illusion as an offer of friendship. He watched her shift around on the vanity; pull her hair from his hand and the brush from his other hand.

Rising she put some distance between them. This Quentin was acting too much like Grand Duke Henri. Putting some distance between them she put the hairbrush on the bed. "Perhaps this conversation is best had in the drawing room and not my bedchambers." She had spoken softly but with the intent of leaving the bedroom expecting him to follow her. Walking to the door she felt her upper arm captured in a tight hold, Quentin pulled her close to him and smiled into her gaze seeing a myriad of emotions passing through her gaze. Vicki tugged her arm loose and stepped away from him.

Drawing Room Old house

Opening the door, she had felt the charge that was building in him for that moment and she was not about to give him the chance to steal a kiss from her. Walking faster than she had intended she was at the head of the steps when his long-legged stride had caught up with her. "I make you uncomfortable don't I?" He asked following her down to the drawing room. Vicki took up her position behind the fireside round settee that garishly graced the center of the room. He smiled looking at her over the top of the horrible piece of furniture.

"You take liberties when you have no right to claim them. As for uncomfortable Mr. Collins you would not like me very much if you made me uncomfortable or angry. As I have said, I am a Collins and my husband's name is Barnabas Collins. He has title to this house and he had gone to check on our luggage and will be making his presence known tonight at Collinwood." She carefully watched Quentin to gage his next action.

"Barnabas Collins died, how dare you say he owns this house!" The older gentleman that now stood in the entryway to the drawing room drew his body up to his full stature and tried to intimidate Vicki with his presence. She turned her attention to the man and thought there was something vaguely familiar about him. She watched Quentin stiffen his body at the entrance of the old man with white hair and slightly balding pate. His dark brown eyes must have been very brown at one time but now it seemed age had faded his eyes along with his eyesight. He narrowed his gaze and looked startled as the sun cleared and the sunlight fully exposed Vicki to him.

"Miss Winters?" His voice was soft and filled with incredulity. He stepped in closer to her, taking his fingers to gently lift her chin and to peer into her eyes. "Miss Victoria Winters?" He asked again not wishing to think he had gone mad. The moment between them was enlightening for Vicki, She gazed into the old eyes of the one time youth she had been sent back in time to save. Fearing to admit to the name of Victoria Winters she spoke softly but with true love for this man.

"No, my name is Victoria but not Winters, it is Collins. I am Barnabas Collin's wife." She curled her tender fingers around his hand and could feel how cold they were. "My mother was Victoria Elizabeth Winters, I am Victoria Josette Collins." She had to come up with a name some how and she felt that borrowing Josette's name, as her middle name would be acceptable to the tragically deceased young woman. She glanced to Quentin. "My mother was here some years ago. She left after some trouble with an aristocrat had pursued her ruthlessly. My father contacted Barnabas Collins in England to see if he would be amenable to a match between myself and his son Barnabas."

"You look so much like her." His voice was tired and sad with his own memories of those days past were brought back to him and he smiled for the first time in years. Quentin could not remember a time when his father Daniel had felt he could smile. He knew he had given him no reason to be happy, if anything Quentin had probably cost his father that hair and a few of those white hairs too. He watched the meeting between the two and he could not help but wonder what power this woman held over his family and him.

He watched her in her quaint old-fashioned day coat lead his father to the settee and helped him to sit. Slowly, she lowered her body next to his and sighed deeply. "Many have remarked on the amazing resemblance between my mother and myself as well as Barnabas and his father. We are unique in that we mirror our parents so strikingly. Mr. Collins, Daniel." She spoke his name noting he had gone distant appearing to be lost in thought.

"Oh, um yes my dear?" He smiled bringing his attention back to the lovely young woman at his side. He reached and grabbed her hand lifting it to open her hand to expose her palm. Lowering his lips to the center of her palm he placed a light kiss there and Vicki smiled. She remembered that was how Daniel had first greeted her.

"My mother spoke of you often and she had worried about you up until her death three years ago. She wanted me to know that she was forever grateful for the kindness that Joshua showed to her while she was staying at Collinwood." She watched his face pucker when she spoke of her mother's death. Quentin had stood by quietly observing he had never seen his father so docile and complacent as he was with this woman. Folding his arms over his chest he continued to observe the two together.

"I am sorry my dear, I cared and held a great admiration for your mother. I was lonely after she left and I missed her, as did my new father Joshua. He worried for her safety with everything that had happened he thought she might have been abducted and possibly left dead in a ditch somewhere." He held her hand and appeared to be very reluctant to let it go. He grew distant again with his memories and his mind wandered back to that time so log ago.

Vicki tucked her chin, held his hand cupped between both of her hands and spoke softly. "She had to leave. Grand Duke Henri had made her life miserable along with that of Reverend Trask. It was then she boarded a ship bound for England to follow Barnabas. When she arrived, she found a position in a very noble family and lived there until she met a minor noble and they married. She had three children, myself, my sister Amelia, and a brother named Joshua Daniel." She smiled thinking he would appreciate that name and watched the corner of his mouth lift into a smile.

"Joshua Daniel for my father and me?" he looked up and his eyes had misted he watched her nod her head. He smiled, "I wanted to name my first daughter for Sarah, but Harriett had other ideas for the girls. My sons however . . " He glanced to Quentin and Quentin saw the disappointed cloud his eyes and fade from his current memory, looking down he spoke softly. "I have children too. There is Judith, Quentin, Edward, Gabriel and Carl. I suppose I have made progress with my children. At least the line did not end with me. Oh your mother god bless her soul would have remembered my sister Millicent, she moved to Europe and married a Grand Duke in Henri's line. She did very well too."

Vicki smiled, she was happy that at least the Collins line would not die because of her, After all, there was a grandchild that would be born to this group by the name of Jamison and he would be her grandfather. "I am happy for you Daniel, Mr. Collins. She spoke with the utmost respect.

"My dear, you really should call me Daniel, I was very close to your mother. She saved me. I owe her my life and were it not for the fact I know that Joshua did give the deed to this house and property to Barnabas I would gladly sign it over now simply for seeing you and finding out what happened with your mother. Did she ever find my cousin Barnabas?" He was curious because she had spoken of her mother and what had happened with her but nothing of her quest to find his cousin.

"Mother before she died requested that Father locate Barnabas for issues, and if he had a son would he request a match between us. I must confess I was very reluctant to become a bride of convenience. Father used his resources and they found Barnabas's son Barnabas residing in Cadogan Square. There he presented him with a miniature of me and Barnabas was interested in a match. Father was not sure if he had other interests. He found that Barnabas was very interested in making a match with me so here we are in the Colonies, she blushed and ducked her chin, "I mean the Americas to live in the old house that belonged to the family." Vicki's voice had grown soft with each word she spoke she was trying to memorize what she was telling him so she could coach Barnabas on what to say.

Quentin began to clap his hands and shake his head as he chuckled softly. "That is a wonderful performance my dear Mrs. Collins, but I find it hard to believe that in all the time your parents lived in London, not once did they come in contact with your husband, that your father and by the way what did you say was your father's name?" He tilted his head waiting for her to say something outrageous.

Vicki had not made history her favorite subject for nothing and without missing a beat she rattled off, ". . .William Johnstone-Hope the seventh Earl of Annandale." She stood her full height with pride showing in her squared shoulders. She was so glad that before this séance she had David research the titles and gentry of mid nineteenth century. He had selected the subject of the Seventh Earl of Annandale. With her color high and her eyes flashing she dared him to call her out on that claim. She knew it would be next to impossible for him to verify her relationship with him. These times did not travel with information as quickly as it had in the future and even there she knew that things got lost or crossed in the passing of such information.

"I see, then you would have me believe I am in the company of the Earl's daughter?" Quentin hung his head and chuckled again. "Then why would he need to bind his family's title to a lowly Collins?" He stepped around to stare down at her and folded those arms in a defensive pose while he lorded his height over her.

Vicki had opened her mouth to explain when Daniel stood up and gruffly called Quentin down. "Why would you consider Barnabas a lowly Collins? My cousin went to England met a landed gentry woman and they wed and obviously had another child they called Barnabas. He would have had as much standing in England as the Earl as landed gentry. He was no low class anything he was a gentleman and a great man of a good businesses acumen. Barnabas as landed gentry could easily have married a Princess if he had chosen. Now leave the girl alone Quentin and come along. We must prepare the family for our new cousin's arrival." Turning to Vicki Daniel helped her to stand kissed her palm one more time, cupped her chin and shook his head. "I cannot get over how much you look like her, you know I had tender feelings for her while she was with us for her short time."

Vicki blushed, "She thought so and she spoke fondly and with tender feelings about you too Daniel. She regaled me with many stories of her time with your family and as a child I imagined what you all should appear more like Gods than people." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "That is from my mother for you dear Daniel." She has spoken softly watching the face of the old man begin to crumple into a big smile. Daniel turned and Vicki stepped back only to be met by the mocking stare of Quentin.

"What no chaste sweet kiss from mummy for me?" He teased her and watched her frown and step back from him. "I see, well I suppose until this evening when you and your dear husband arrive to formally make your introductions to the family." He bowed at the waist, straightened up and then he leaned over and placed a light chaste kiss on her cheek. "From Quentin for you Mrs. Collins I bid you adieu." He turned escorting his father from the house just as Magda and Sandor with five other gypsies arrived in a team drawn wagon. There were two strapping boys and three girls. One of which was a pretty young girl that had incredible storm tossed colored eyes. Her dark hair was pulled up and away from her face revealing a somewhat startling resemblance to Vicki in profile.

Front Entrance to the Old House

Magda made the sign of the evil at Quentin when he passed her while she watched him from the seat next to Sandor. Twisting around she watched him with his father disappear down the path and into the woods. "That one is evil, you all should stay away from him. Come bring the clothing. Sandor, have the boys meet me in the kitchen later, put the food in the pantry. Julianka, Talaithia, and Mirela, follow me, come meet someone important to you especially Julianka." Magda marched to the front entrance of the house and entered acting like she owned the place.

Vicki had sat back down on the spiral settee and leaned back closing her eyes when she felt someone was watching her. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see Magda with a lovely young girl at her side. Storm tossed colored eyes met storm tossed colored eyes and Julianka held up her hand. "Say nothing Magda Rakosi. Say nothing let me see for my own self." Her voice was soft and filled with wonder. Walking on silent footfalls to sit next to Vicki, lifting her fingertips to push her hair back she looked for the heart shape birthmark. It was there and she smiled, reaching for Vicki's hand she lifted it and ran her fingertips over the hand. "Come, with me." She tugged Vicki by the hand, guiding her up and to the stairs, up the stairs and to Josette's room.

Josette's Bedroom Old House

Reaching the tousled bad, she ripped the sheets away from the bed, sat, pulled out a deck of cards and handed them to Vicki. "Shuffle the cards until I say shuffle no more." She ordered. Vicki was far more than just confused by this woman that must be a relative of hers. She not only frightened her somewhat she also mesmerized her. Taking the cards Vicki began to shuffle the cards and then heard Julianka say softly, "Give me the cards now." Vicki handed the cards over and Julianka began to lay the cards out on the bed and nodded as she watched the various cards appear in a order that made sense to no one but the reader. When she turned over the last card, Julianka sat back, closed her eyes, crossed herself and smiled. "It is true Magda Rakosi she is the heir apparent to the heart of the Romanos' she is our last hope!"

The woman who could not have been more than eighteen stood quickly and wrapped her arms around Vicki and hugged her tightly. The electricity between them was palatable. Vicki felt her body begin to sway and she was guided to the bed. "Quick Magda, the transference was hard on her, she needs water!" She watched Magda leave the room to return with a glass of clear water. Handing the water over to Julianka she watched as Julianka carefully handed the water to Vicki. "Drink this my child, drink it and rest, you have much to prepare within yourself since I have transferred my power to you to carry on for our family."

Magda haring this gasped and reached for the young woman. "You put much at risk my little one. Why give up your power, surely you kept some for your own protection? Will she not inherit it upon her birth?"

Julianka smiled, "My dear cousin, I never give my all away. I imbued her with what she will need to succeed in defeating Petofi and to help her find the Heart of the Romano, it has been lost these past fifty years."

Vicki knew something had happened but was not sure what she meant blinking rapidly she took the water and slowly drank it waiting for further explanation. The conversation that had been going on between the two woman was unknown to her due to a slight buzzing noise in her head. When her mind cleared she asked,"What do you mean you transferred the power to me?" Vicki cupped the glass in her hand and waited for an explanation. Expectantly she watched the other two women entered carrying some cases. Following them was one of the boys who carried a large trunk. Vicki knew he had been brought to the house by the Rakosi's or he would not have been permitted in her bed chambers.

Julianka smiled, "All in good time my dearest one. Do not be surprise that when you see your birth right again that it has grown darker and more of a reminder of who you are and why you are here." Turning she looked at Magda, "I must go back to camp and tell father and retrieve instructions on how to find the blade to bring to her. She must find the heart and keep it with her close at all times. We know he comes back soon we just are not sure when he will be here."

It was becoming clear to Vicki of whom they were speaking. "Petofi, will come when Quentin Collins gets the hand." She spoke softly and this caused both Magda and Julianka to spin and look at her.

"That is impossible my father has the hand as we speak are you saying this Collins will steal the hand to return it to Petofi?" Julianka stepped closer to Vicki watching her closely now wondering how she had such information and why she had it. "You are the chosen one to bring our clan into the light and safety from the darkness of Petofi, he has not had that hand for over fifty years. That hand was given to my father by his father!"

"I know what is to happen because your Great Grandfather brought me back to kill Petofi in 1796. It was decided by the council at that time to not kill him but take his hand and give it to the King Johnny Romano, the leader of our tribe." Vicki was still feeling exhausted from the feeding Barnabas had done on her the night before. Sitting on the side of the bed she tucked her chin. "I was the one that took his hand and a white wolf, took the hand from me and I was told it was given to King Johnny Romano. The white wolf knocked Petofi into the ocean below and his body was carried out to sea."

Magda frowned looked at the others that had come into the room. "Get the book Julianka and let us see the picture the wise one drew of the savior of the People it will tell us if she speaks the truth." Julianka disappeared out of the door in search of the book. Magda walked to Vicki and touched her shoulder. "You carry great power in your body those of darkness will recognize this great power and try to use you to control that power." Vicki smiled wryly and stood walking to the window she looked out to the shabby gardens below.

"Magda I carry great power already in my body." Within a blink of an eye she had shifted from the window to one of the boy that had carried in a trunk and had lifted him off the ground with one hand. The startled boy gasped struggled against the tight hold she held over him, Vicki gently lowered him to the ground and with the same speed shifted back to the window. Everyone in the room began to cross them selves and mumble that she must be a day walking strigoi. Vicki shook her head. "No not a vampire, not a day walking vampire, I am human but with enhancements from receiving the powers of an immortal and a day walking vampire. They saved my life by giving me a portion of their essences. I live because they gave up a part of their life to save mine. That is why I did not die when he drank from me. He is the man I love in the twentieth century and plan to marry. It is also the man that just left here. He does not realize how close he is about to destroy all of Collinwood with his rash actions. That is why I am here."

Julianka came bounding into the room holding the book with her finger marking a page. Walking to the nearest table she laid the book open for all to see. All gathered around the book, looked from Vicki to the book then to Vicki and they fell to their knees, "You are the chosen come from the future to correct the wrongs of the past!" Magda held an even bigger respect for the young woman that now stood before them looking very lost and alone.

"Please stand and do not bow to me, I very well end up loosing my life this time and if I do, I do it for the greater good of the people our tribe and the tribes under King Johnny Romano!" She has spoke that last with such ferver they all smiled and bowed their heads to her again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Old House Josette's room

It had taken little time for Julianka and Mirela to clean Vicki's room and make it presentable and then to unpack the gowns they had bought for her. Vicki looked with disdain at the corset and sighed, she supposed she needed to adjust to wearing it so she would have a foundation for support. She allowed Julianka and Mirela to dress her and found the dresses cumbersome and uncomfortable and the corset binding her to the point she was not sure if she could breathe in it let alone walk. Magda had come into the room and nodded looking at Vicki and smiled, "Now come let me fix your hair before the monster gets up from his day nap and you have to go to Collinwood. You must take care when you go to meet the Collins family. They are touched by evil and they are very bad people. The only good one is Harriett."

Vicki had sat on the vanity stool and allowed Magda to pull her hair up and dress it into long curls to lie gently against her cheek and shoulder. She was dressed in a deep red dress of satin with ribbons and the dress accented her small waist, while the corset pushed her bosom up and offered an attractive picture of the swell of her breasts. Magda had pinched her cheeks to bring color to them. "You are far too pale my dear. You need to put some color in your cheeks; I fear the monster would have killed you by drinking from you as he had. You are blessed with a unseen power of the undead and you should take care none finds out about this power."

Vicki slowly pushed away from the vanity and for a moment let her fingers lay on the perfume bottle she knew contained the soft scent of jasmine. Taking a small amount to daub behind her ears and on her throat and her wrists. She stepped back and took a small breath and nodded, she knew she was presentable. Glancing to the window she noted the sun had already set and she could hear Barnabas' voice in the hallway, he must have risen and gone to dress and was awaiting her in the hallway. She knew she would need to update him on what she had told Joshua and to make sure their stories matched should someone separate them and ask about how they were brought together. Feeling the bite of an insect on her neck she swatted it and turned to Magda. "Would you be able to get us some mesh screens to cover the windows to keep out the insects, I know you do not wish to be a feast for them and I certainly do not with it either.

Magda pursed her lips and nodded. "I will take care of and have the boys make coverings for the windows for you. You no worry about that we can find it and fix it nice for you." Vicki knew that the first window screens had been used in Boston in the later part of 1836 to around 1839 so she figured if they could get the windows covered they could leave them open at night for a breeze with summer apparently beginning it would be uncomfortably hot to keep the windows closed.

Vicki turned to the sound of a knock on her door, and noted Magda was frowning. "You take care tonight and do not let him drink from you again." She patted Vicki's arm and went to open the door, curling her lip at Barnabas she spoke softly, "She is ready but you need to know Mr. Daniel and Quentin were here asking her too many questions, so you need to learn what she told them." Magda stepped past Barnabas in a rustle of skirts and the tinkling of her jewelry. She left the door open with her exit allowing him entry into her room. Barnabas walked into the room and stopped his gaze going from the top to the bottom of her figure.

"My dear Miss Winters may I say how enchanting you look this evening. I understand that Daniel and Quentin were here?" He entered and closed the door behind him. Vicki sucked in her top lip catching it with her teeth and then nodded. She looked at how dashing he appeared in his jacket and cravat and breeches with thigh high boots. He looked every bit the noble man he was representing and was only slightly dated with his clothing but did appear to be from England, which is what they wanted the family to think.

"Daniel remembered me as Victoria Winters and I had to invent a story for him. I had to lie to him and it did bother me but we both must proceed with caution. So; yes, I told them my father was the Earl of Annandale and that you went to England became landed gentry and married a minor noble woman and had you. That when my mother died she asked my father to find if there were any issues and if there was a son to offer my hand in marriage to your family and sent you a miniature of me. That you were interested and we were married by an arrangement between our parents." She had folded her hands together while she spoke and was standing ramrod straight because of the corset.

Barnabas walked across the room paused leaned over and sniffed and smiled. "Thank you for wearing her perfume. So, we had an arranged marriage and I suppose that you told them I decided to reacquaint myself with our ancestral home and came to claim title to it?" He sat on the settee and looked over the room with satisfaction. He was transported back to a time when he had entered Josette's room and found Victoria indelicate and embarrassed as finding her in such a condition. He had many thoughts of her since that day and had oft times wondered especially during the times that things between him and Josette had become stressed, thinking of the beautiful Mistress Winters and her pale lovely body so nicely displayed for his view.

"Yes I did, and Daniel said had he not known the house had been deeded to you, that knowing I was the daughter of a woman he had much admired he would have given us the house. His son Quentin is nothing like the Quentin I know from the future. He is arrogant and to much self assured and thinks he is the god's gift to woman kind. I find him rather obnoxious like that Duke Henri in some respects. I fear he is about to get his comeuppance. Especially, with my arrival here." She walked stiffly to sit across from him in a chair and sat upright. Nothing about this outfit she wore was going to allow for poor posture.

Barnabas watched her curiously. "I do not ever recall you being so stiff my dear. Why is there a change?" He crossed his right knee over his left knee and watched her.

"The foundation garments they have in this century are stiff and uncomfortable. They call them corsets and they bind you into this position. I fear I may not adjust too well to this type of clothing before this day is over I shall be grateful to be rid of such contrivances they are torture to wear." She smiled to show she was being sincere but also looking forward to their evening to be over.

"I must say I rather enjoyed the clothing of my era more so than this one, they seemed to have advanced to become more restrictive with their mode of dress." He looked to the widow and sighed, "The carriage is arriving, I had a note from Daniel he was sending over a carriage for us. Are you ready my dear?" She stood and walked to the closet to get her bonnet and cape. He helped her on with the cape and then adjusted her bonnet tying it in a nice neat bowl. "It was an advantage to having cravats in my day and this at least you learned the proper way to tie a bow." He smiled to take the edge off of any criticism of her ability to dress in such a mode of clothing.

Collinwood Drawing Room

Quentin slouched in the chair by the window watching the sun set in the west and the building cloud bank that appeared to suddenly form over the ocean. It almost seemed to have an unnatural feel to it. Lifting his glass he took a long drink from the burning liquid that tried to choke him with the burn when he swallowed. Movement at the entry to the drawing room drew his attention to the woman that stood poised in the middle of the doorway. Daphne appeared to hesitate before entering. "You can come in, I won't bite you." He smirked watching her face turn that lovely shade of red he enjoyed bringing to her cheeks.

"Are you alone?" She asked in her soft voice that immediately alerted him to the fact she did not wish to be alone with him and that thrilled him. If she was afraid of being alone with him that meant she was attracted to him and wanted to preserve her dignity being in his company. He lifted his glass and gave a cursory glance around the room and shrugged.

"Would it matter if I had another woman hidden in here with me?" He dropped the glass to rest it in the palm of his hand and looked at her poised like a frightened doe caught in the hunter's gun sight. "As it seems I do not have any other charming company it would appear that yes, I am alone." He offered her a smirk for a smile. "Come in little one I promise not to bite or ravage you." He lifted his glass and finished his drink. With extreme and exaggerated care he set the glass on the table, pushed his body up into a more upright position, then watched her find some determination to walk fully into the room. He noted she had squared her shoulders and brought a look of irritation to her face by tightening he lips and narrowing her eyes.

"Quentin, I am only going to make this request one time and one time only. I will not tolerate you making free with your whims on my sister of myself. I will politely this time request you to keep your distance from the intended wife of your brother Edward and to keep your hands off of my person." Her color had heightened with her impassioned speech to which it only made him smile then chuckle. Standing to tower over her he walked to within a bear five inches in front of her and leaned over to place his nose almost against her nose and his lips close to her lips. Daphne could feel the warmth of his breath against her lips.

"Or what?" He watched the pupils of her eyes widen with her emotions and a hint of fear he might try to steal another kiss and a secret part of her wondered if he would dare after her ultimatum another part of her wanted him to grab her and kiss her and she hated that part of her because it was so base and not her true nature at all. It was a part of her that he would find and bring out in her and she hated that loss of control over her propriety. He leaned back slid his hands into his pockets and turned from her to walk to the window and peer out at the lightening stretching across the night sky. "You know what?" He half turned to face her and smiled that rakishly cruel smile. "You want me to kiss you again, you know it, I know it and you hate me and yourself for wanting me to ravish you."

He had missed the look of disappointment that had briefly cross her features when he had backed away from her and turned, to quickly be replaced with a look of outrage at such an affront and assumption on his part. When truth be told he had stated exactly what she had wanted and was expecting from him. Her cheeks deepening into a brighter shade of red, she quickly turned and rushed towards the door only to feel her arm caught by his hand and her body jerked against his body. Her breasts heaving and her face appearing to be permanently stained with red he bent over captured her lips and kissed her deeply. With the first touch of his lips against her lips and then the pressure to take the kiss deeper, he felt her resist in the beginning and then she capitulated giving into the kiss. Daphne was not sure when she had raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck and pressed into his body with the sudden release she felt she had been taught a lesson that she would not soon forget.

Quentin had shoved her away and bowed. "As my lady wishes, I kissed her and then I will not touch her again without her permission. Now if you will excuse me, I do not perform well in front of an audience." He stepped back looked to the open doorway and nodded to the man in the wheel chair. "Hello Gabrielle I hope you enjoyed the lesson of the taming of a shrew. You might take some lessons to get your own wife under control." He looked at the young handsome face of his brother who now looked at him with hatred and disgust. "Edith likes a strong hand when it comes to handling her." He walked past his brother then bent and whispered in his ear, "Then again you would not know how fiery she can be in and out of bed confined like you are to that chair."

Gabrielle turned in a furious manner and glared at his brother. "One of these days Quentin you will find someone you cannot bully and when that day comes I hope to God that I am there to see you fall. Then maybe that arrogance you pride yourself on will fall with you." He turned to look back to Daphne who having been caught was now filled with shame and had turned away from Gabrielle's what she knew would be a condemning look. Pressing her fingertips to her cheeks she walked to the window to study the building storm on the horizon and knew in her heart there was more of a tempest stirring in her heart and her body. Ashamed to even admit she wanted the kiss to go on and if not more to happen between them. She sensed more than saw that Gabrielle had wheeled his chair behind her and now next to her. He had assumed a look of sympathy looking up at the lovely woman at his side and then the storm clouds. "You know he does it to make us hate him. I think it is because he hates himself more than we could."

Daphne fought the sudden sting of tears that haunted her eyes and had not realized that she had taken a deep breath and had been holding it. "I think he does it because he knows he can and he does not care about what we think or our feelings." She spoke softly then sniffed lightly. "His arrogance will be his downfall and some day he will be sorry for all he has done. He thinks any woman he takes an interest in wants him and so he takes what he feels is being given freely." She chewed her bottom lip then looked down at the sad blue eyes of Quentin's brother. "Do not pity me Mr. Collins, I can assure you that I do not wish to be a part of his sick and senseless mind games. I came in here to demand he leave my sister alone she is confused enough without him trifling with her emotions." She had spoken from the heart and probably too much. Gabrielle hated Quentin for putting him in the chair he now occupied and now he had something he could use to his advantage.

"There, there my dear do not allow him to upset you, he takes liberties with all our wives. Including Edward's first wife Laura and just as I sit here unable to be the man I had dreamed of being he caused Laura's death and had to return home in shame and degradation to the chagrin of our father." He reached for Daphne's hand and gently stroked her palm and wrist and smiled. Her hands were soft and warm unlike Edith's whose hands were always cold and unfeeling. He watched that lovely shade of color form over her cheekbones and smiled she was a delight to behold and had he the opportunity to pick another wife he would surely have courted her. The only reason he had married Edith to begin with was he thought Quentin had fallen in love with her and he wanted to best him at something. Unfortunately, the feelings were one sided and now he was stuck with Edith. In a loveless marriage that would not bear fruit and give him a chance at the family fortune. He watched her smile shyly and gently disengage her hand from his.

He knew he had held her hand overly long and the only reason he was there offering her comfort was because once again attempt to usurp Quentin from something he coveted and craved and that was Daphne Harridge. That is until the servant answered the door and the newest members to the family had arrived ahead of the storm and she walked into the room. He was thunderstruck by her beauty and the fact she bore a striking resemblance to Daphne's sister Joanna. He noted that Daphne was as struck as he was by the appearance of Victoria Collins standing at her husband's side in the foyer of Collinwood. They both watched the identical twin to the man whose portrait hung in the foyer helped his wife with her cape and then her hat, removing his coat he handed them over to the servant and gave the servant a half bow. "Thank you so much. Would you be so kind as to inform the master of the house his cousin from England had come to call in the company of his cousin's wife?"

Gabrielle smiled and tugged on Daphne's hand. "Come let us go make their acquaintance and introduce ourselves before father comes." Pushing his chair forward he entered the foyer. "Am I in the company of Barnabas Collins and his lovely wife Victoria Collins?" He smiled charmingly to Victoria reaching to take her hand and to place a light kiss on the back of her hand, then to offer a handshake to Barnabas. "You will forgive me for not rising as you can see I am quite at the disposal of this chair and unfortunately am cursed with useless legs." He had slapped his legs as a dramatic accent to his statement.

Vicki looked up and smiled seeing Daphne and before she could stop herself she exclaimed. "Daphne!" She rushed to hug her and found the lady was very shocked and unsure as to how she should return the favor of such a warm greeting. Vicki realized too late this was not her Daphne but apparently a distant ancestor of her Daphne. Blushing deeply Vicki stepped back. "Oh do forgive me, you so remind me of my sister Daphne, and for a moment I was confused and of course delighted to see someone that so resembles my own sister."

Daphne laughed, "Which for me it is the same. I have a sister named Joanna. She has a very strong resemblance to you. Of course you could imagine my surprise and delight to see you enter and think Joanna had come from her walk and now graced us again with her company." Daphne spontaneously for reasons unknown to her embraced Vicki and spoke to her ear. "I am very pleased to meet you cousin Victoria and welcome you to Collinwood. I give you fair warning this family is very competitive for attention and one up man ship so do use caution in their company." Daphne stepped back assuming a place at Gabrielle's side.

Gabrielle turned his chair and called over his shoulder. "Please come join us in the drawing room. There is a warm and cheerful fire and I am sure you will find it more inviting than the disagreeable ill wind that wishes to blow over this land in the form of that approaching storm." Vicki turned to Barnabas and waited for him to join her and she noted he was frowning somewhat by the off handed way that Gabrielle had greeted them then left them to follow him without awaiting the arrival of Daniel. Walking to Vicki's side he slid his arm around her waist and escorted her into the drawing room following Daphne and Gabrielle.

"Please do make yourself comfortable before the fire, I noticed you both seemed chilled by the nor'easter that is coming on shore." She had just released Barnabas' hand after he had graciously taken it to kiss her hand and noted that Vicki felt cold and Barnabas' hand was cold. "Our weather here is very unforgiving this time of the year and may I offer you tea or a cordial?" Daphne was being the perfect hostess awaiting the arrival of Daniel.

Vicki assumed a seat on the sofa and looked to the cheerfully looking fire and the familiarity of the room was overwhelming her and making her feel homesick. "No thank you for a cordial although tea sounds lovely." She smiled and was once again struck by how identical to her Daphne this woman was that now left them in the room to have tea prepared and served.

"Then excuse me and allow me to have the servants prepare the tea trolley, I am sure Daniel and Harriett shall be here shortly." Daphne retreated from the room leaving them to be entertained by Gabrielle. He watched her leave then turned his attention back to Vicki and Barnabas.

"I must say I can see how much you look like Joanna but you have subtle differences to her too. Her eyes are brown like Daphne's and yours is that storm tossed sea colored. I understand cousin Barnabas that you have just arrived from England? How fare our English cousins and the family there?" Gabrielle shifted his body to make himself more comfortable and had to fight the urge to watch Victoria under the watchful eye of her husband. She was delightfully lovely and he was sure would attract the attention of Quentin and if that were the case perhaps she would be the one to bring him down once and for all.

"I fear I am the last of that family in England. I am hoping to continue the family line with Victoria and perhaps relocate here in the Colonies." He sat next to his wife and assumed a casual ease watching Gabrielle and making a quick assessment that he did not like Gabe and would have to keep an eye on him around Victoria.

"I see from what father tells me that you and Victoria made a marriage of convenience? I find that a rather cold way to form a family and a relationship between a man and a woman without the benefit of love." He smiled and noticed Victoria's cheeks brighten a delightful shade of red.

"Actually Gabrielle, your mother and I were arranged and we grew to love one another. I cannot tell you how pleased I was to hear that we had not lost our dear Victoria's mother connection to this family and now she assured that her daughter was a member of this family by arranging the marriage prior to her death." The deep commanding voice of Daniel could be heard form the doorway and all turned to see Daniel holding the hand of a lovely woman that was both delicate and adoring with white hair and blue eyes watching all in the room. Barnabas stood, assisting Vicki up and both turned to offer a cordial smile for Daniel and Harriett. "Welcome Cousin Barnabas, as I knew your father well, I have to remark you do bear a striking resemblance to him as does your wife to a dear favorite of my father Joshua. This is my lovely wife Harriet Collins do make yourself comfortable and I understand tea is on its way."

Barnabas stepped forward and took Harriet's hand and kissed it, then stepped back to offer his hand to Daniel. "Father spoke of you often when I was growing up. I believe he referred to you as young Daniel." They waited for Harriett and Victoria to seat them selves and then they followed with taking seats near their spouses. "I understood from Victoria that her mother spent time here prior to her marriage to the Earl of Annandale. Now we both find it ironic that the very place her mother had grown to love will now become a home to us both with the people she so dearly loved prior to her death."

"Well, well, well, we finally get to meet the missing husband and cousin Barnabas?" The laconic voice of Quentin echoed through the room, which caused a glare from his father and a gasp from his mother.

"Quentin! You were raised with better manners than what was just displayed! Do come in and remember your breeding and your duty to your family to be cordial and not demeaning."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Collinwood Drawing Room

Barnabas had slowly risen with the arrival of Quentin and had glanced briefly to Victoria with a slight frown edging his lips, "I beg your pardon what do you mean an alleged husband to Victoria?" He was trying to be cordial and tolerant but finding it hard to like Quentin with his superior and rather overbearing attitude towards Victoria and him. He had stepped away from Vicki to stand in front of Quentin and offered his hand. "Am I to understand that I am in the presence of Daniels second son Quentin?"

Quentin had to secretly admit he could not challenge the man being a Collins he bore too strong a resemblance to the portrait in the hallway and obviously was related to the first Barnabas Collins. He glanced past Barnabas locking his gaze on Victoria who sat with a stony face of irritation at his high handedness. She did not appreciate how he had disregarded that Barnabas was a duplicate to what he perceived was Barnabas' father the supposed first Barnabas Collins and was slightly insulted by the way he undressed her with his eyes. The man was incorrigible and a rake. Quentin smiled knowing he had gotten under her polite reserve and had irritated her, he directed his lazy gaze back to Barnabas and took his hand in a strong shake. "Yes, you do have the pleasure or displeasure to be in the presence of the horrible disappointment to his father, Quentin Collins, may I get you a drink?" Quentin had walked to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle and looked at it, then to Barnabas.

Barnabas had retaken his seat next to his wife and laid a protective arm around her waist, which for some reason had annoyed Quentin that Barnabas had by that act seemed to stake a claim on the woman that now held his attention. Much to the chagrin of his mother and the outrage of his father he absently listened to his father chastise him. It had begun with Harriett's softly spoken "Quentin."

To Daniel's "Now see here, must I remind you that you were bred with better manners than what was just displayed?" He turned and locked his gaze to the open eyed gaze of his brother who was watching Vicki covetedly from his position by the window. The outside had seemed to want to join in with the family's outrage at such a brash and poor show of manners. The thunder rolled over the house causing the house to feel the vibrations. Quentin sighed deeply and walked with a slow deliberate grace to the piano bench and sat on the stool leaning on the piano's closed keyboard.

"Then by all means Cousin Barnabas and Cousin Victoria do forgive my lapse of good manners and do carry on with your conversation, I suppose it is safe to say we have formally been introduced and can relax with the formalities and pretenses of making you believe we are one big happy family!" He lifted the glass and sloshed a little of his drink over his hand and laughed, "Well maybe I am getting to my limit, but you will find that with this family it helps to face them drunk or unconscious." He threw back his drink and let out a soft gasp the liquid burned going down his throat. Scrunching up his face he coughed, "Not bad perhaps I need another."

"No Quentin I think you have indulged enough now do be a good boy and sit quietly and wait for the rest of the family to join us." His mother had tried to gently scold him and looked with an apology Vicki and Barnabas with an apologetic smile. "My daughter and her son, shall join us shortly, and then there will be another son Carl that will be joining us along with his friend Victor Van Gibbon. Then there is my son Edward whom will be joining us with his betrothed Joanna. I know that Daphne had gone for tea." She smiled graciously and shot another look at Quentin.

Vicki cleared her throat, "Thank you Mrs. Collins, we would be honored to meet the rest of the family and the tea sounds lovely, I have met your son Gabrielle," she turned to smile and noticed that Gabrielle had been watching her intently, lowering her lashes over her gaze she shifted back and snuggled up closer to Barnabas and felt him tightened his hold over her waist. "Daphne was a treat she reminds me of my sister who was named Daphne." Vicki had made a horrible mistake with that admission having forgotten she had said her sister's name was Amelia and Quentin was quick to jump on that mistake.

"I thought you said you had one sister and one brother the brother's name was Joshua Daniel and your sister was Amelia?" He sipped his drink, narrowing his gaze watching her chew her lips. She shifted looked at Barnabas then lifted her chin and he saw the challenge in her gaze and in her body's posture. He felt he had caught her in a lie and he was not going to let her off that fishing hook, he was going to watch her squirm. "So now you have a sister named Daphne?" He titled his head and once again he caught the outraged gaze from his mother and his father glaring at him.

"Yes, her name was Amelia Daphne, the family called her by her middle name because my Aunt Amelia, my father's sister lived with us and it was confusing so formally her name was Amelia Daphne and we used her middle name to distinguish between the two. She was after all named for that aunt." Vicki was silently thanking whoever had given her a quick wit and the ability to make up for the blinding mistake." She lifted that chin and glared her daring challenge at Quentin.

Quentin lifted his glass in a toast and salute to her and smiled. "I see must be my mistake to be so suspicious of you. So Cousin Barnabas what made you decide that you wanted to take this lovely morsel for a bride? Were you not afraid of buying a pig in a poke?" Vicki stiffened at the reference and felt Barnabas tighten his hold trying to curb his own anger. He knew they would be tested but he would not tolerate anyone insulting his wife.

The comment had once again brought about a chuckle from Gabrielle and an outraged expostulation from Daniel. "QUENTIN! I DEMAND YOU APOLOGIZE IMMEIDATELY FOR SUCH AN OUTRAGOUSLY RUDE COMMENT!" Daniel had stood and glared at his son, his breathing had grown rapid and his face had suffused with his anger turning a beat colored red. Then as quickly he clutched his chest and collapsed on the floor.

Everyone in the room was deeply upset by his sudden collapse and Harriet was the first to cry out, "He is not breathing!" Vicki without thought stood rushed to his side and dropped down to the floor, straightening him out, she placed her fingertips to his throat trying to feel a heartbeat, tilting his chin up she cleared his airway and then laid her head to his chest, not hearing a heart beat, she took her fist and thumped his chest and then began compressions, pinching his nose to blow air into his chest and watch it rise and fall. She worked feverishly for five minutes nearly exhausting herself when she detected a movement of his chest on his own, lowering her head to his chest she smiled. "His heart is beating and he is breathing on his own. Perhaps you should send for the doctor!"

That was when Vicki realized what she had done and stood up with the help of the now arriving young man called Carl. She felt a strong hand wrap around her hand and support her wrist while he bent kneed to place his arm around her waist and help her to stand. Turning to thank him she was wide eyed and shocked, the man looked like Willie Loomis, very handsomely dressed in a noble man's clothing and claiming the name of Collins as his. Vicki smiled and thanked him. "Thank you." She had spoken softly and dropped her gaze with a flutter of her lashes. Barnabas was at her side sliding his arm around her waist to steady her.

"It would seem my brother Quentin has been baiting father again, come Quentin let us get him to his bed. I am sure you created this debacle; so, the least you can do is help me get him to bed so the doctor may properly attend him. Gabrielle, your wife will be down shortly, and mother Victor was delayed by the storm in town and will not be joining us for dinner this eve. However, Gerard, I believe is your dear friend Quentin; has arrived and shall be joining us he is most anxious to see you."

Vicki hugged close to Barnabas while Quentin and Carl with the assistance of the servants lifted Daniel from the floor and carried him from the room. Harriett was standing and fretfully watching her husband's body being carried up the stairs. "I do hope you will forgive me while I make sure that Daniel is properly cared for and will return shortly. I know my daughter Judith will be down soon and you must forgive this madness that seems to have possessed this family." Harriet hugged Vicki and Barnabas turned and followed her husband up the stairs.

Gabrielle turned and took Vicki's hand and smiled. "That was nothing short of miraculous my dear Cousin Victoria. How ever did you do such a feat and where did you learn to do this?" Vicki was shaking she had done something that was next to instinct from the training she had at the foundling home, she had performed CPR to save Daniel's life. She lowered her chin and sighed.

"It was nothing Cousin Gabrielle, we have a technique we have long been taught called cardio pulmonary resuscitation which helps to bring the heart back to its normal beats and helps the lungs to fill with assisted breathing. Something that we learned in the various hospitals and learning institutions that teach physicians how to save lives." She let her voice trail off.

"I see then you had as a woman and apparently as modern thinking one aspirations to become a healer? " He studied the flush to her cheeks and noted she was nervous while speaking of it. Barnabas was the one that stepped forward giving him a satisfactory answer.

"I am sure you know that the Earl of Annandale was a physician by trade and my dear Victoria worked at her father's side until our marriage. She actually spent several of her formative years in the Colonies teaching in Boston the various techniques she had learned at her father's side. That is why she does not have the same accent as I and why I came to the states to complete our marriage contract. We were married in New York. That was the main reason I decided to continue my trip to Collinsport and the old house which I knew was my legacy left to me by my father."

Vicki was so grateful to Barnabas for clearing up her mistake and adding more to their history. "As for the original questions that was asked by Cousin Quentin, when I saw the miniature of Victoria I was enchanted with her beauty, and her intelligence and looked forward to making her my bride. As for worrying about having a pig in a poke, I can assure you all that by no means would I ever compare my bride to a pig nor would I expect her to be one in a poke sack." He smiled tightly and guided Vicki back to the sofa where he seated her.

From the doorway a devilishly handsome man with a shock of dark hair and penetrating dark eyes locked his attention to the two new arrivals and let his gaze shift over Vicki like a man sizing up a delectable meal. "I concur no one would be foolish enough except for the boorish Quentin to compare such a lovely young woman as your wife Mr. Collins as a pig in a poke." Barnabas was beginning to feel he was going to have to keep tight watch over Vicki while in this den of over indulged males and this one caused Barnabas' hackles to rise. He was devouring Victoria with a look of lasciviousness and delight watching her squirm under his gaze.

Barnabas stood and faced him, "Thank you Mr. . . ?" He waited for the formal introduction and another joined him, which caused Vicki to stand and speak in confusion.

"Mrs. Stoddard?" The woman was strikingly beautiful standing next to Gerard holding on to his arm possessively. It was obvious she was a little older than the man she clung to and when Vicki had spoken her name the lady smiled and inclined her head looking at Vicki.

"No sorry, I am Judith Collins. You must be cousin Victoria and you obviously are cousin Barnabas. Mother sent me down to tell you that dinner will be served shortly and . . . " She turned watching the servants wheeled in the cart holding the tea. "Asked me to hostess the serving of the tea. Do sit and Gerard dear boy do come in and make your self comfortable. Quentin is being properly chastised by mother and father for his deplorable manners." She swished into the room and sat next to Vicki arranging her skirts and waiting for the trolley to be pushed to the side of where she sat so she could lift the tray and sit it on the table in front of her. With habit and grace she poured out tea and handed it around. She smiled graciously and noted that Vicki's hand trembled somewhat when she took her cup.

"There, there my dear do not allow my brother to bully or make you feel insulted or upset, he is really a boy in a man's body and we hope that some day he shall mature enough to become something more than an embarrassment and foolish man who enjoys plucking wings from butterflies. He seems to delight in upsetting people so we choose to ignore his barbs. You will;l if you live here long enough, learn to do the same." She smiled graciously and turned to Gabe noting he was still studying Vicki, then his gaze lifted and she stood like a cold ice queen of some considerable note and beauty in the doorway. Her tall statuesque figure attractively encased in a form fitting dress, her hair dressed in large curls on her head and her eyes narrowed while she watched Gabrielle. "Oh look Gabrielle now you may introduce Edith to your cousins."

Judith had noted that Gabrielle had an unhealthy interest in Victoria and had been covetedly watching her while she sipped her tea and sat demurely by her husband's side. She smiled delighting in the fact that he had been discovered by Edith who now narrowed her gaze on Gabrielle then turned her superior nose and gaze over Vicki and Barnabas. "Not necessary for him to make introductions Judith." She walked with correct posture and balance into the room and Vicki had to wonder if she had her corset tied too tight. Barnabas had arisen at her entrance stood and bowed politely to her.

"I take it you are cousin Gabrielle's wife Edith?" He took her hand and kissed it then turned and spoke softly, "My wife Victoria." Vicki stood and felt she was being stripped with that glare and she was left with the impression she was found wanting."

"How do you do cousin Edith it is a pleasure." She offered her hand to the woman before her that somewhat reminded her of Willie's girlfriend Beth, Vicki noted she glanced at her hand ignored it and took up a position behind Gabrielle.

She spoke in her ice-cold tones. "A pleasure I am sure." A colder greeting Vicki could not imagine. The woman was insufferable as Quentin and thought they made a perfect couple. However, before she reseated herself she found her rejected hand taken by Gerard and he bowed over it and kissed it. Which from her peripheral; Vicki could see that Edith was jealous that Gerard was lavishing Vicki with his attention.

"She may not warmly greet you my dear, but let us face it if you were a cold beauty like Edith and had a husband that could not satisfy or find the fire you so longed for would you not be cold and haughty too?" Gerard chuckled at his off colored joke, which only made Barnabas and Vicki uncomfortable. She had to wonder if she had missed out on the fact she had been thrust into some odd world and now she was at the mad man's ball or the mad hatter's tea?

Barnabas stood and cleared his throat. "Perhaps we have come at a bad time. We will ask you excuse us and we shall allow you to get on with . . . " Before he could finish a staid and strict voice was heard from the doorway and Vicki turned to look with surprise and pleasure at a young woman that did bear a striking resemblance to her. The differences were as Gabrielle had said the young woman looked like Vicki but her eyes were brown and she returned Vicki's look with a warmth that was the first since Daphne had hugged her and she had received since arriving in Collinwood.

"I beg your pardon Cousin Barnabas, it would appear my family has not been on their best behavior and has managed to make you and your wife uncomfortable. I will beg you to forgive them their lapse in good manners and by the request of my mother and my father will request you at least stay for dinner at which I promise you that dinner will be a pleasant experience more so than the poor and shabby greeting you received here."

"Edward, I see you found Joanna and convinced her to come to dinner, thank you for joining us my dear, let us hope you will not regret your decision to dine in the main dinning room this night because my family wishes to squabble and show poor manners with the arrival of family."

Edward entered the room with the lovely young girl on his arm and stopped before Vicki and smiled, "I see that my soon to be sister in law did not exaggerate she is correct to say you do look very much like my lovely Joanna, may I present Miss Joanna Miles and I am Edward Collins a pleasure to meet you both." Edward bowed then kissed Vicki's hand and turned with a stiff smile to Barnabas. "I do hope you reconsider that quick retreat you were about to take. I can assure you now I am here our family will be on their best behavior do join us for dinner, and I can promise you that you will not feel as if you were thrown to the wolves."

Barnabas nodded slowly looking at Edward and noting how much he looked like his father in his father's younger days. Taking his hand he gave him a firm cool handshake and smiled. "I would be delighted to join you and your family for dinner and it would appear our retreat would be ill timed since the arrival of the storm that it appears it wishes to keep us all huddled together tonight." As an acceptance to that observation they all noted the tinkling sound of hail being thrown by the wind against the windowpanes.

Vicki felt the younger girl's gaze fixed to her and she turned and smiled shyly. "It would seem that what I heard is correct, it is said we all have a double in this world and it would appear you are mine and I am yours." She smiled and took her hand and watched the soft blush of color stain her cheeks.

"You are much too kind Cousin Victoria, but it would seem we do share a kindred other than in our looks alone, I feel you know me as well as I think I would know you." She lowered her gaze and felt Edward run his arm around her waist and pull her close to his body.

"I believe that Daphne has indicated we may join her in the dining room. So please shall we all adjourn to that room and I am sure that once mother has properly chastised Quentin, he and Carl shall join us. Gerard I understand you are staying?" Edward turned to plant that direct gaze on Quentin's friend.

"Yes, I have been given a room for the night and would be delighted to join you to meet the new family members, I find that they are a refreshing breath of spring air to this house and an exciting reminder that there can be new life in this old house." Gerard bowed and walked to the foyer, Judith stood and smoothed her skirts down and smiled

"Do follow me and we will see you seated for dinner. I believe that cook indicated that she would be preparing braised beef this evening and she does a particularly wonderful gravy for the beef I am sure you will find intoxicating, because she uses brandy." Judith giggled at the thought and walked past them following Edward and Joanna. Edith waited for Vicki and Barnabas to follow Judith and when she thought they were out of earshot turned her fury on her husband.

"I saw how you were watching her! You want her, well you can't have her, she belongs to another so you might as well forget it Gabrielle!" Vicki's very acute hearing heard that and she dropped her chin, she knew Barnabas had heard it too.

"You are mad Edith, if you were a little more loving I would not wish to let my thoughts stray from you to another. What could I offer a woman like that so quit being such a possessive little witch and shall we join my family for dinner?" His manner had grown angry and as cold as hers while he wheeled himself towards the dining room.

Vicki turned her face into Barnabas shoulder and spoke softly, "Why was Daniel cursed with such a family, he was such a sweet boy, how could this have gone so horribly wrong and how did my Quentin become the sweet endearing man he is in my time from this letch in this time. I pray Barnabas, and I hope that we survive this meal and we make haste to leave these people as quickly as possible after dinner. I have never felt so uncomfortable around a group of ungrateful children as this house has produced. They all need to be spanked."

"Would you be the one issuing the spanking my dear?" Quentin had come up behind her in time to hear her last statement about them being ungrateful children needing a spanking. Barnabas turned and narrowed his gaze at Quentin. His voice was low and held a hint of a threat.

"My dear sir, I will remind you this is my wife and I will not tolerate any more ill or poor manners expressed around her." He watched a look of contempt spread across Quentin's face and Barnabas lunged for him only to feel the tight hold of his wife on his wrist, she stepped in front of Quentin narrowed her eyes.

"I will say this only one time Quentin Collins and you must heed my warning, I will not be used as a jest for your amusement, I will not tolerate any disrespect towards my husband and finally . . ." She shoved her hands against his chest and slammed him against the wall. The strength she displayed and the tenor of her voice had grown low and filled with contained anger. "Do not dare to think you are going to disrespect your father or mother in my presence again, because the next time, I will be a little more forceful than I was this evening." She had shoved him so hard against the door frame he could feel the bite of the door jam against his spine, his amazement at such a display of strength took him by surprise and for once Quentin Collins was without comment. Her shove had also off balanced him and he slumped down to the floor to peer up at her in surprise. Vicki turned to slide her arm around her husband's arm and walked sedately into dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Old House

Vicki was never so glad to finally be back in a home that did not house so many spoiled ungrateful cutthroats. She was seriously considering not having children ever after what she experienced today at Collinwood. Barnabas escorted her up the steps to the front door and opened it for her allowing her to enter ahead of him. He paused and frowned looking around the area having a feeling of a set of eyes watching him. Turning he followed her to the foyer. She had been reticent and extremely quiet on the ride to the Old House. Barnabas helped her with her cloak and then removed his cloak, following her into the drawing room he looked around and posed in the doorway. He studied her removing her hat and setting it on the roll topped desk. "You are very quiet my dear."

Barnabas watched her walk to the window and look out at the unfriendly weather that was lashing out at everything. Walking to her he placed his cool hands on her arms and leaned into her. He loved the way she smelled, soft and full of lilac scents. It was not jasmine like Josette but he had pretty well given up on his desires for Josette since his incarceration. The past fifty years all he had were his memories and for some odd reason the woman he held in his arms tonight was more prevalent than Josette had been. He knew in his heart that Josette would never be his and then 'she', his Victoria, appeared from out of the night and with her tender sweet ways she had slowly encompassed a part of his thoughts and feelings that no other he had allowed or dared to enter his mind and was slowly ebbing her way into his heart.

Why would he have felt jealous when Jeremiah had shown her some attention that should have been reserved for Josette? He felt her shift and lean against him and her hand slowly came up to cover his hand with hers, resting her head on his chest. "Tonight was enlightening. I pity Daniel and Harriett." She felt his chin rest against her neck and she could feel he wanted to feed. "Have you expelled your dinner my love?" She spoke softly, it was as if she were with her Barnabas in the twentieth century with the gentleness he was displaying.

With his lips pressed against her throat he spoke withholding his passion. "Yes, my dear before we left Collinwood. I must feed soon or I will not be able to control my blood lust." He ran his arm under her breasts and she could feel the strength of that hold. His breath was against her neck and in times of seeking his blood meal his need warmed him. His eyes glowed with the intensity of his famishment.

Vicki turned into his hold running her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply her own passions beginning to take over her reason. Breaking the kiss she closed her eyes and took a deep breath letting it out slowly, "Then take what you need my love and before you put me to bed take this damn corset off of me." She leaned back to smile; her eyes aglow with the love she held for him. He looked deeply into her eyes and spoke softly.

"We really must love one another deeply for you to sacrifice yourself this way." He held her gaze and watched the play of emotions while they shifted across her eyes changing the color from a light grey to a deep green.

"More than life itself. Without you I would not have lived. I give to you all that I am and I have saved myself for our wedding night. When I come to you on our wedding day, I will be pure for your touch." She had whispered that and felt the sting of her emotions fill her eyes. She watched the look of wonder cross his face and a slow smile spread across his lips. She had just confessed to him a very dearly held secret that must have been shared between them in the future.

"My dear I don't know what to say. I am deeply touched that you would save your first time with me. To give me the one thing a man dreams of holding dear to his heart for the rest of his life." He leaned forward and kissed her deeply. His lips traveled down to her throat and gently, holding her head he bit deeply into her throat and drank. He felt her body instinctively tense and want to jerk and he did not wish to tear her throat so he held her in place.

Outside the Old House

He watched, and he was excited when he saw her come close to the window, he saw the way the light accented the highlights of her hair. Her face bathed in the soft afterglow of the lantern only made her more beautiful. He hugged deeper into his cloak and watched 'him', the one that claimed her as wife; walk up behind her and massage her shoulders and arms. A part of him wanted to rip 'him' apart then and there he had seen her and knew she was for his life not Barnabas'. She did not belong to this man that came from another country to claim his rights and titles as a Collins. Their moment together shared in the window was almost too personal for him but he could not turn away he had to watch like the voyeur he had become and enjoyed.

Shifting his weight he watched the kiss and the exchange of sweet words. He could imagine it was him holding Victoria and making soft and subtle love to her. He watched Barnabas lift her in his arms and they disappeared from the window. He glowered he knew Barnabas was taking her to their bedchambers and that this night would be filled with passionate lovemaking. He could imagine she was a wild and uninhibited. He knew he could find that deep part of her that would unleash all the passion he had built up over the years of being trapped in that damn chair. Gabrielle had long left the chair behind some years ago. His secret well kept and the pity of his family being lavished on him so he could continue to live unencumbered at Collinwood.

That was how he knew what Beth had been doing behind his back with Quentin. He allowed them their tryst he would just bide his time and he would take from Quentin what he wanted the most. Tonight he had seen a different side of Quentin when he was around that woman; Mrs. Barnabas Collins. Gabrielle shifted his weight and sighed deeply. He would lay the ground work and would start his own manipulations. He knew that Quentin resented Daphne wanted to take Joanna first before Edward had her, he had taken Edith on more than one occasion. Any new woman that came under Quentin's purview was a target and a conquest for his bed. However, this woman was not about to give into his charm. He smiled thinking about this and already knew what his next move would be and he would be prepared to make Quentin and Edith pay and get what he wanted and that is Victoria.

Collinwood Gabrielle's bedchamber

Turning in the down pour and ice covering his cloak he embraced his solitude on his silent trek back to Collinwood and the secret passage that held the direct route to his bedchambers. He had a lot of manipulating to do and he just needed time to see it through. Entering his room, he left his wet cloak behind the secret panel, hearing someone approaching his door, he darted to his chair, seated himself and realized he had his muddied boots on, grabbing a blanket he jerked it over his legs to cover his boots and had just settled nicely when the door was thrust open and Beth huffed into the room. "I suppose you think you want me to put you to bed tonight? Well forget it, you can just sleep in your chair for the rest of the night. You embarrassed me and you disgraced this family with the wanton way you went on with that woman!" Beth was working herself into a good release of anger.

"So, Quentin was not interested in your charms this night was he?" Gabrielle rolled his chair to the center of the room and caused Beth to stop in her mad pacing and ranting. "You want to take about pathetic? Let us talk about how obviously jealous you are because Quentin chose to give 'that' woman his attention tonight and completely ignored you." He smiled watching the color leave her face and then suffuse it with a deep coating of red rage. Her eyes snapped fire and it was the first time he had seen something other than a frigid look in her eyes. "You know Edith I really think this the first time I have seen you filled with the heat of your passion. Even if it is hate. You appear to be burning with rage, which is a refreshing change from the frigid and cold look I have grown used to seeing." He spun his chair around to lock his gaze on her.

"I am stuck in this chair Edith, what can I bring to a woman like Cousin Victoria? Let me guess my winning and charming personality could possibly garner her sympathy for my situation. You Edith are mad because you went to Quentin's bed and he was already occupied with his own debauched thoughts of our cousin's wife who is the fair and very lovely Victoria. You have got your knickers in a knot my dear and need to put your anger where it belongs and that is on Quentin. You want him but tonight he wants Victoria." Gabrielle's manner had become coldly cruel and taunting while he spewed forth his truth.

Beth stood her breast heaving and her eyes burning with her unshed tears and she would be damned to hell before she allowed him to see her cry over his truths. Rushing past him, she felt her wrist grabbed. He had tightened his hand around her wrist with such strength she was surprised by the action. Tugging against his hold she felt her feet slip and she was jerked down on his lap. Pinioned between his arms she glared into his eyes and saw the look of loathing that filled his gaze. "I could break your neck with little regret my dear. I would try to remember your place as my wife at my side regardless of the fact I live in this chair."

She struggled against his hold and could feel the heat of his anger. She sat perfectly still and lowered her lashes over her eyes. "Now, go to your room and do not let me see you the rest of this night is that understood. I cannot stand the look of you. You repulse me." He threw her from his lap. "Then next time you come in to accuse, do it for the right reason and not because your lover rejected your advances for the night." He whipped his chair around and wheeled to his window to watch the rain pelt the earth with its fury and vengeance and it really reflected his own feelings.

Edith had looked down at the floor noting the blanket had fallen from his lap when he threw her on the floor. Her gaze went to his muddied boots, but her mind did not register the act they were muddied. Instead her mind was filled with fear with the ruthless way he had thrown her from his lap. He had gotten stronger in his upper body and could easily manipulate that chair so it stood to reason he would have that part of his body at its peak. Pushing herself up from the floor she straightened her clothing and rushed from his room.

Quentin's bedroom

Quentin paced his bedroom and he like Gabrielle was occupied with the thoughts of what had happened this evening. She physically pinned him with such force to the wall that it was frightening and exhilarating. The only other woman in his life that had held his interest for any period of time had been the gypsy Jennie who had followed him back to Collinwood announcing to his stunned family that they had married when he was in Bucharest. He knew he had done it out of rebellion against his family but he also knew he had been running from what he had witnessed in Egypt two months earlier.

Going to his bed he fell back on the bed closing his eyes and began to remember that fate filled day when Laura had talked him into joining her in some cult that was following the god Ra. He had promised his followers eternal life but they had to be initiated and cleansed by fire. His libido had out weighed his good sense and he had followed Laura to the edge of what he thought was the end of the world. There in the temple dedicated to the dark arts and the god of fire he watched Laura climb the steps to the fire pit, lift her arms and ask to be embraced into the purifying fires. Then to his horror she had thrown herself into the fire with a piercing scream of what he thought should have been unbearable pain but upon reflection learned it was an orgasmic scream.

He had run so hard and fast through the tunnels and feeling he was nearing the exit he had found a chamber with a glowing stone and lifted that stone hiding it and taking it with him. He lifted his chin and twisted his neck to look at the black egg shaped stone that served as a paperweight on his desk. Closing his eyes he thought about the saucy and sexy Jennie. Sighing deeply he heard her knocking on his door, pushing his body off the bed he walked to the door, opening it he kept his body between him and the door's fame and the door. Blocking Beth's view into his bedroom. Quentin smiled. "What do you want Edith?"

She tried to push into his room and he blocked her entrance. "Who have you got in your bed now Quentin?" She gritted out from her clinched teeth. Her eyes snapped with her anger, Gabrielle had just manhandled her and now she had to wonder who was hiding in his room with him. "You have time for another but you don't have time for me?"

"Edith go to your room, get some sleep and leave me to mine." He turned to close his door on her and felt her shove him forward and opened the door marching into the room to look around and like some mad woman began to tear apart the room looking for his company for the night. She was a woman possessed and at this moment Quentin wondered how he had always managed to find women that were insanely jealous over his attentions to the fairer sex.

"Where is she, I know you have hidden her in here! Come out whomever you are and show yourself." She called looking under the bed, the closet, and any place someone could easily hide from another. Quentin rolled his eyes walked to the door leaned against the frame, crossed his arms and rested against the door waiting for her to satisfy her curiosity. From behind, a movement and then a sudden noise and Quentin felt it a sharp stab to his rib cage.

Staggering forward he turned and looked with shock and confusion on the wild woman that wielded a knife holding it high over her head. Her hair was uncombed, her gaze was fixed and insane looking with her eyes wide and filled with anger and yes he recognized it as madness. She charged at Edith who screamed out in fear and darted back away from the mad woman that was there to terrorize them all. "You left me Quentin, you said you loved me, you left me pregnant and you went off with Edwards wife! You left me with this ruthless family and they locked me up and took away my babies!" She swung at Edith barely catching her sleeve and slicing it, nicking her arm and raising a strip of blood oozing up on her arm.

Quentin realizing she had not gone away and the family must have locked her away rushed towards her to wrestle the knife from her hand. They struggled over the knife, Quentin felt her fall back on him and the bed just as he had grabbed the knife in her hand and felt it twist and sink into her body. She gasped her eyes widen with shock, pain and confusion. The madness cleared for a moment and she looked with love into Quentin's eyes. "Quentin, why? I loved you with all my heart. I gave you all of me and more why was I not enough." Her words were filled with pain and hurt. He saw her look at him and watched the light of her life start to die in that loving gaze. He leaned forward and kissed her lips as she died.

The room filled with servants and family, the servants carried Edith out of Quentin's room to her room. Daphne had been summoned to help with Edith. Edward arrived with his mother Harriett. They looked at Jennie lying dead with a knife sticking out of her stomach, her eyes fixed and no life showing through them. Quentin realized he had been stabbed and had been holding the deep wound with his hand. The doctor was summoned and Quentin was escorted to another room on the same floor. He had a lot of questions and he wanted them answered before this night was over.

Old House Library

Vicki had found a pair of Daniels old nickers and had slipped them on with one of his old shirts. She had been busy cleaning the library. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail with a scarf tied over her head. The room had not been cleaned in well over forty years and she was determined to fix it and make it nice for Barnabas. He had not been so possessed to take as much blood as he had the first time he drank from her so she had pretty well recovered her health a lot quicker than the last time. She was glad that Magda or Sandor had not been present for this feeding. It would have given Magda a reason to find fault with Barnabas again. Pushing the chair behind the desk, she stood back feeling proud of her accomplishments. Gregor brought in crates of boxes and sat them on the sofa. "Oh thank you so much. Is that all of them?" She had counted ten so far stacked on the floor and the sofa.

"Yes, my lady. We have also found the other things you were searching for earlier in the attic, do you want them brought down to the family dining room?" He was a strapping youth and growing into a handsome man. He tried not to look at her dressed as a boy, it gave vent to his active and growing imagination. Looking around at the room he smiled she had really brought the old room back to life.

"No those go to the formal dining room and we are hoping to invite Harriett and Daniel over to dinner this week." She walked to the crates and began to take the books out, looking at the clock she sighed; she wanted the room completed before Barnabas arose for the night. She had another five hours to get the room put together, bathe and dress for him. She was looking forward to this time with him and getting to know him better than she had in his time.

Gregor bowed to her and walked out into the hallway and paused, "My Lady Collins, Magda was summoned to come to Collinwood before I came in here with those crates, she had been gone for a while, should we send Julianka to go and check on her?" He was worried about his Aunt. She had never been gone this long to the big house and this was unusual because they had sent a carriage for her and Sandor."

Vicki pursed her lips and frowned. "Yes, of course and if you need me for anything just come get me." She turned back to the books when she heard the door to the front foyer open and there was a lot of yelling and crying. Vicki shoved the books on the shelf and turned walking rapidly towards the front foyer. There she encountered Sandor holding a inconsolable Magda who was very upset. "Sandor? Magda? What has happened?" She walked towards them and felt Magda tear away from Sandor and go to Vicki and cling to her crying about someone named Jennie and she was dead?'

Vicki held Magda close and spoke soothingly to her. "There, there dear Magda, Sandor take her to her room put her to bed and I will be up shortly with some laudanum in some tea. She obviously needs to calm and rest her self and then you can tell me what has happened to cause such upset." Vicki had remembered there being some laudanum in the pantry when she had cleaned it earlier. Releasing the hysterical form of Magda to Sandor she watched him take Magda up the stairs. Turning Vicki walked to the kitchen were she Talaithia and Mirela they had been whispering to one another until Vicki entered the room. Pausing she looked curiously between them. "Am I interrupting?"

Vicki stepped further into the room and began to heat some water for tea. Turning she walked to the pantry and found the brown bottle. She reached for it and hesitated, she remembered the last time she had been exposed to laudanum, the night Josette died and the night Trask's man had drugged her to take her to him. Her hand trembled and she withdrew her hand and turned feeling unreasonably afraid. Shaking her head she turned and reached for the bottle and hugged it to her chest. Walking back to the kitchen she noticed Talaithia was now alone in the kitchen and she was crying softy over the sink. "Talaithia? What is wrong?" Vicki set the bottle on the table and turned to peer at the young woman.

"It is our cousin Jennie, she is married to Quentin Collins and she went mad with grief when he deserted her and ran off with Mr. Edward's wife, the witch. Jennie escaped from the tower rooms of the big house. She found Quentin with Mr. Gabrielle's wife Mrs. Edith last night and tried to kill them. Quentin struggle with her and she was stabbed and she died."

Vicki was stunned that so much had happened shortly after they had left Collinwood the last evening. "Jennie is what to Magda?" Vicki sensed that Jennie was far more to Magda than a cousin. Being of the people even if she was only half, Vicki felt protective towards them and wanted to help and to understand.

"Why Jennie was Magda's baby sister. She raised her from a small child and has watched over her since she came here to this cursed place." The young girl was upset and she sighed wiped her nose and her eyes and turned from Vicki. "I am sorry, I do not mean to be this way my lady Victoria, it is just very upsetting."

Vicki walked to her and put her arms around her to give her a hug. "I understand my dear do not apologize for your grief. It is all very natural for you to feel this way. Let us get Magda some of this tea with a tea spoon of this," she lifted the laudanum and poured it into the cup. "She will rest. I need to get a bath and then I will walk to Collinwood and see what they plan to do about the burial of Magda's sister and see if I can help. You are my family now and I want to help as much as I may." Vicki felt her return the hug and watched her take the tea up to her Cousin Magda.

"The old ones said you would come to save our people, you are as they said, kind and now you take us as family. That makes you more special." Talaithia held tightly to Vicki, took a deep breath let it out slowly, and then stepped back wiping her tears. Smiling bravely Talithia lifted the tray and headed up the servant's stairs.

Vicki walked up the servants stairs to Josette's room and gathered some clothing. Walking down the hallway to the bathing chambers she found that Mirela had already drawn her a warm bath. She hurried her bath, dressed and walked to Sandor and Magda's room. Knocking softly on the door she poked her head in when Sandor called softly, "Come."

Smiling she noted that Magda was sleeping soundly on the bed. "Sandor I am going to Collinwood to see about arrangements for her sister. The laudanum if she needs more is in the kitchen." Sandor stood and bowed he looked anxiously to Magda and then to Vicki.

"She be fine once she gets over her anger and shock. Please know we do appreciate your help Mrs. Victoria." Vicki went to hug him. Turning to Magda sleeping on the bed, she ran her fingertips over Magda's face.

"Sleep Magda soon our people will be free and you can leave this land and go where your spirit can be free." Vicki turned and walked to the door when Magda sat up and she spoke softly, her eyes fixed and unseeing.

"I curse you Quentin Collins! I curse you and the first born of any issue you have from this day forward to feel the pain of the full moon, to know no peace and to walk as a man but in wolf form! I cures you Quentin Collins and you will regret what you have done and so will the first born of the first born that bear the name of Collins born by you." She fell back on the bed closing her eyes and lying still and unmoving. Sandor was the first to react.

"No, no Magda you know not what you have done!" He fell to his knees and began to weep over her still body. Vicki stood and knew this was the day Quentin had been placed under the gypsy curse of the full moon. And no one would be safe from this day forward. Until she remembered, they had changed history with her Quentin and there was the portrait that would make Quentin an immortal and it had been painted and enchanted already by Charles Delaware Tate the first. Relaxing she walked from the room and down the hallway her destination was to now tell Quentin what had happened and what to expect, little realizing she was about to be delayed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Woods between Old House and Collinwood

Vicki watched the hem of her skirt while she strolled on the path. The furious movements of her feet caused the hem to kick forward and then fall back and threatened to wrap around her ankles. The dampness and cold of the night before pre winter wash was caking on her shoes and she was beginning to wish she had just taken the horse and rode over to Collinwood. The problem was she was no good at sidesaddle and if truth be told she hated dressing like a prim and proper lady of the pre civil war era. What Vicki detested more was she had to go back into that house filled with so much pettiness and hate. "Well, well what have we here traipsing through the woods looking for all the world at being possibly lost and what? The voice halted her forward progress and she stood still looking on in stunned silence. Count Petofi stood before her with his superior attitude and having not aged one day since last she saw him plummet off the top of widow's hill. "What no hug for an old friend my dear Victoria?"

He smiled and no humor reached his eyes as they narrowed looking at her with every intent and purpose of keeping her from any further progress to the great house of Collinwood. He opened his arms expressively and stepped forward sweeping her up in a hug, dragging her close to his body. His face a bare few inches from hers he smiled. "You thought you killed me and I see you are here to what see it through this time? His hold on her tightened and she felt him squeezing her so tight that she was sure he would break a rib. Shifting her weight in his arms, she used her own strength to break the hold and landed agilely on her feet. Stepping back she glared at him.

"Excuse me Count Petofi but I am most certainly not here to see you die. Now excuse me I have business to attend at the big house." She stepped back and started around only to feel him grab her upper arm and pull her back against his body and look with a hint of murder in his gaze.

"All you had to do was go along with me and be my wife and you could have the whole of this and so much more laid at your feet. We would have been the King and Queen of Henri's domains! But you allowed the call of your darker nature that part that screams out gypsy to take over your conscious and ruined it and took my hand. Well you are going to help me get my hand back." He smiled and then felt her arm jerked from his hand. Vicki's eyes flashed with fire and her anger was intense. She had never felt so much rage in her life as she did at that moment. She was about to throw him into a bramble bush until someone else had intervened in their meeting.

Gerard Stiles stood towering over Petofi. "Really Victor that is hardly the proper way to handle a delicate beauty such as Mrs. Collins. I suggest you get yourself under control. I have met her husband and he is a gentleman of such impeccable standing. However, I doubt he would remain as such if he found his wife had been accosted or molested in the woods. Now shall we temper our selves and allow Mrs. Collins to continue her journey?" Gerard had turned and with as much charm as that smile could muster he had his own gleam of ulterior motives to play out in this interesting tête à tête. Vicki stepped back and glared at Petofi.

She turned with a hint of an irritated smile to Gerard and had to wonder how much of their conversation he had heard. "Thank you Mr. Stiles." She turned her gaze glinting with her irritation to the man she knew as Petofi and spoke guardedly, "Victor?" Vicki turned to peer at Gerard, "The man's name is Andréas Petofi, not Victor whatever he wishes to call himself and he is a scoundrel and a dangerous man Mr. Stiles I would avoid him at all costs." Snatching at her skirts she huffed past both men headed to Collinwood. Gerard smiled watching the fire that edge her eyes and the color that had just enhanced her beauty.

"Very much a spitfire is she not Victor and what did she mean your name was Andréas Petofi?" Gerard fixed that stare on Petofi and waited for an explanation. He watched Victor shift uncomfortably. Turning briefly to watch the retreating form of the woman that had become the one that got away. Apparently, from Victor Van Gibbon had he not heard him say he had proposed and she had refused? This was becoming more and more interesting the further he was around the very delightful and delectable Victoria Winters.

"When we met some time ago Gerard she knew me as Count Andréa Petofi, which is my true name and to avoid the publicity that goes with visiting royalty I have assumed a new name while visiting here in Collinsport." He had deftly avoided an unnecessary problem by being half truthful with Gerard who he suspected was just like him greedy for power and wealth. He recognized immediately the gleam and spark in Gerard's eyes and knew he had an ally. "So be a good chap and do not let anyone know. I can assure you Gerard that I can make it worth your while." He smiled reached for Gerard's arm and began to lead him towards Collinwood. "You will know that Quentin is aware of my true identity. He and you as well as the delightful Miss Winters are the only ones aware of my true identity and we shall keep it between us?" He smiled again to gain his trust.

"Of course, it will be my pleasure to help keep your secret as your own and not allow any other to know. Now why did you call her Miss Winters, she is married to Barnabas Collins so she is Mrs. Collins." He watched the smile fade from his lips. He looked back to the old house and then to the direction of Collinwood.

"Barnabas Collins is dead." He spoke half aloud and puzzled until Gerard quickly explained what they had been told.

"No dear Victor, allow me to enlighten you. It would appear that Mrs. Collins mother was here and she went to England escaping from a Grand Duke Henri who had pursued her for her hand in marriage. That Miss Winters met and married the Earl Annandale and she gave birth to the current Mrs. Collins. It was an arranged marriage between her family and Collins whom I understood is the last issue of the first Barnabas that moved to England."

"So that is what happened to him, he moved to England." Victor mused softly and was attempting to put it all together and now it was becoming clear. She knew about him through her mother of that he was sure. That she had been named for her mother was interesting but to be an exact duplicate of that mother was even more interesting. She was almost exactly as he remembered and he wondered if she had the same birthmark that most of King Johnny's children had passed on to one another. They stroll on to Collinwood knowing she had plenty of time to get to her destination.

Collinwood Drawing room

Vicki arrived and was immediately given access to the foyer. Removing her cloak she stood and waited for the servants to bring a family member to her. Walking slowly into the drawing room she came up short noting Quentin slumped in a corner chair, holding a glass of whiskey in his hand and staring at it as if he had never noticed the color of the drink before. Not bothering to look up he spoke with a hint of regret and remorse in his manner, "Did you come to gloat?" He lifted the glass and drank, then looked up and seeing it was Victoria stood up and looked at her with a degree and a hint of the Quentin she had come to know and respect. "It is you, I thought it was Daphne." He walked to the liquor cabinet and poured himself another strong drink.

Vicki walked over to him, took the glass from his hand and tugged him to the front door. "Come we need to talk and what I am about to tell you is something that does not need to be heard by others." He looked at her confused then a glint of the old Quentin that was about to capture another notch on his bedpost appeared with the glimmer of his gaze. "And you will not be making me one of your conquests either Quentin, now come along." She was treating him like a spoiled child. He was not sure if he was intrigued or expectant as to what might transpire between them. However, he was Quentin Collins and far be it from him to not oblige a beautiful woman when she wa dragging him off to a secluded spot.

Gazebo rear garden

Her grip was strong and would not allow for him to try and break the hold, so he followed like an errant child as she with more force than she intended tugged him towards the gazebo. He was amazed by her strength and the ability to hold so much command over his body. She shoved him to the settee and then turned dramatically, her skirts swirling about her legs to dance at her ankles. Her gaze was fixed. "How do you do that?" He was astonished by her strength. She had with one hand successfully dragged him, and then pushed him down on the bench. He was intrigued and excited and the thought of being alone with her in the isolation of the gazebo only gave further a hint of expectations and lust to enlighten his imagination. She was a commanding woman that held more than just strength and power, she now held him in one spot with that fixed stare.

Vicki folded her hands in front of her and she spoke softly. "it is because of you and Barnabas I have gifts. Now sit there shut up and listen to what I am about to say, because the very foundation of this house and the future is in your hands from this point on." Her words were said in such a manner that she knew she had his absolute attention. Even in his alcohol induced haze he was fixated to the woman that now commanded no demanded his attention. "Quentin Collins, you have been cursed by Magda, she has put the mark of the wolf on you and your first born from this day forward. She blames you for the death of her sister and she has put the gypsy hex on you to be a wolf on the night of the full moon." Vicki watched the import of her message take hold and the fear that now edge his eyes. She watched him immediately sober and stand up in a panic only to feel her hands shove him back down. "Sit, I told you to listen to me and what I have to say." She turned and walked to the side balustrade and leaned against it, folding her arms over her chest she spoke with gentleness he had never seen in her until now.

"In a house on 4th street, in Collinsport, there are five people stuck in a time lock because of a séance that was held. A séance that was to send me back to the year 1797 from the year 1967. Those individuals are Professor Timothy Stokes, Dr. Julia Hoffman Lang, Daphne Harridge, Barnabas Collins and you Quentin Collins. Yes you Quentin Collins, not your future generation but it is you; because you are an immortal. You may wonder why you are an immortal, because there is hidden in your room a portrait that was painted and then enchanted to take all of your pain, your diseases and your wastrel way of life so that you can live forever without suffering under the curse. However, your issues, the ones you had with Jenny will suffer from what you will not.:"

The only part of that he really comprehended and it came home for him was he was a father and he had a son. "I am a father?" He smiled he had suspected he was a father on at least four occasions but never had it confirmed and because he felt nothing more for the mother or her child he had gladly allowed them to claim their husbands as the father of all those children. Now his wife, his deceased wife had given him a son. He stood and walked to stand next to Vicki and shook his head. Looking up he caught her incredulous gaze and smiled. "No do not get me wrong. I understand you are telling me you are from the future, and that the existence of Collinwood lays on me at this time. That I would say originally that you were totally insane or mad and out of your mind woman and should be locked up in the goal for your lunacy but with all that I have seen and experienced I am more intrigued than astonished by your claims. Trust me Victoria, I do believe you and I am for once glad that you are impervious to my willful ways and my charms. I just don't fully understand what you are trying to say. I am the second son to this house and there is no way that I am to inherit the vast fortune and find that the saving of this family lies on my very irresponsible shoulders."

Vicki laid her hand to his arm. "The Quentin I know in the year 1967 is very successful and a man of his own standing and there is nothing he would not do to protect those that bear the name Collins. YOU, yes YOU, Quentin have become a well-known and respected author using the pen name of Grant Douglas. We are friends and you along with Barnabas are very close with all those you claim as family." Though she had wanted to stress how important he was she had not intended to raise her voice when beginning her explanation. That attracted the attention of another that had chose that time to walk in the garden. Daphne hung close to the wall and had listened with a hint of confusion and fear not stay after discovering there were people involved in a private conversation. She could not tear herself away from hearing more.. She had heard correctly that Quentin now suffered from a curse by a gypsy and the woman that she was starting to like had just confessed she was from the future?

Daphne's bedroom Collinwood

This was too much for her to mentally digest and she slipped back from the two in the gazebo and walked hurriedly to her room. She had to think and she had to have time to understand what she had just heard. What manner of deviltry was this that was being discussed? She knew Quentin had dabbled in the dark arts and two of his closest friends were known practitioners. That was one of the reasons she had avoided both Evan Hanley and Victor Van Gibbon when they were in residence and now she had to worry about Victoria? She was conflicted because she knew deep down in her heart that Victoria could not be a part of that darkness that seemed to follow Quentin around. That coupled with the fact she, Daphne had been responsible at Edward's request to take Jenny's two children and place them in a good home.

She had kept that information from him since his return from his last bout with wanderlust. She had with Joanna taken the children to Mrs. Jennings in Collinsport. The small baby girl and the small baby boy had been placed with the woman with specific instructions that Quentin was to never know about those children. Daphne had felt it was wrong to not let Quentin known and to keep the babies from the hopelessly insane Jenny that Daniel had secured in the tower room. Daphne had felt sorry for her. She had pleaded and lamented and cried wanting to hold and care for her babies. So behind Edward's and Daniel's back, Daphne had brought her two dolls to pretend they were her babies.

It broke Daphne's heart to listen and hear Jenny singing to the babies each night. It was when Daphne had brought her food and drink and to see to Jenny's comfort. Reasoning was out the window now that Jenny was dead and Edith had taken to her bed in a fit of hysterics. Now Daphne held another potentially deadly secret and it involved Quentin and Victoria. Rushing away from the meeting in the garden, Daphne took the rear servants stairs by the kitchen to go to her room and lock her door, collapsing on her bed she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She would follow her instincts and her heart and that would be to hold this secret until she had reason to know that darkness had come to live at Collinwood in the form of Victoria Collins.

Rear Gardens Collinwood

"Quentin, you are about to embark on a dangerous course with a man named Count Andréas Petofi, I just heard the name he is using is Victor." Vicki hugged into her cloak and spoke with a knowing but quiet formality of someone that was afraid and cautious with the named person and she was surprised to see him smile. Turning to lean against the balustrade with her he folded his arms across his chest, and negligently cross his ankles supporting his body on the rail.

"I know all about Petofi and he uses the name Victor Van Gibbon when he wants to travel incognito. He is harmless." Quentin had too easily dismissed one of the most dangerous men Victoria had ever known. She shook her head and turned to face him her demeanor had grown far to serious for someone of such tenderness in her touch and gaze.

"He is not harmless and he had incredible power Quentin, that power was given to him by a dark and deadly prominence over the dark arts. With the touch of his right hand he could control, manipulate or even kill with but a touch. Quentin I took that hand in the name of the people I came to protect. Although I am a Collins I am also a Romano. I am a direct descendant of Johnny Romano the gypsy king that originally took his hand over 300 years ago. Petofi was a bane on the existence of all that claim to be gypsy. It was with the help of this dark power that allowed King Johnny to rob Petofi of his power for becoming so arrogant that he had successfully accumulated the attention of his benefactor and that benefactor's ire over his arrogance to believe he was an equal." Vicki had stepped forward and folded her arms over her chest.

"It was under the direction of this dark power that King Johnny was given the means to destroy Petofi or grant him his life but take his power. That was with something that became known as the heart of the Romano's." She saw his eyebrows lift and with that action, Vicki knew he had knowledge of this heart of the Romano's. She smiled and nodded, "You see King Johnny now holds dominion over both the heart of the Romano's and Petofi's hand. Petofi or Victor whatever his name has an obsession with the Collins or those of great power. Quentin he will attempt to take your soul and place it in his body because he will not admit it but his body is failing him. Which I suspect it is from all the dark magic he has been practicing for over three hundred and seventy years. He wears his bodies out and then seeks a new body."

She sighed and looked down to the point of her boot and noticed she was trudging a what seemed a half acre of mud on her shoes. She began to speak again and it was in hushed tones. "He had the picture of you painted by a man named Charles Delaware Tate. A man that was imbued with his power to paint and create with his paintings. One thing he did was to have your portrait painted and as long as that painting exists you will never age and you will never die. So, that is how I know he will try to exchange places with you, thinking he will make you immortal thereby not able to age and eventually take control of the Collins family wealth. If this happens, none of us will be born in the future." She looked up hoping for the first time in his life he would at least listen to what any woman had to say.

A glimmer of hope filled her when she saw he had a spark of recognition for the brevity of the words she had just imparted. Walking to her he put his hands on her arms and smiled into her gaze. "Then I shall allow you to direct me on what to do. I will follow your lead and you must be my guide my dearest Victoria." He bent and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. Causing Vicki to blush deeply with embarrassment. This was the Quentin she knew in 1967.

It was at that time Gabrielle chose to wheel himself out to the garden and from the angle he sat saw only what his jealous mind allowed him to see, and that was Quentin holding Victoria in his arms and kissing her. When she stepped back and turned from him he was elated she had rebuffed him but to see him pull her back into his arms and hold her sent a cold blast of rage that soon ran hot with his anger through his system. He would rather be exposed than allow him to have her. He was now determined that before the night was over, Victoria Winters would be his and he would hold her captive until she agreed to help him kill Quentin! Spinning his chair around he rolled his chair back into the house with so much rancor and anger that he nearly tumbled his body from the chair. He could not do this rashly he would wait, yes that is what he would do he would wait and then they both could pay for the betrayal he just witnessed.

Collinwood Drawing Room

Vicki stood poised near the French Windows overlooking the front patio area of the grand estate, her mind was adrift with what would happen next and if she would be able to go back to her time and her Barnabas. Quentin had brought her back into the house and went to gather the family together for a family meeting. Daphne was the first to enter the room and she paused and stood watching the woman at the window. Clearing her throat she approached Vicki and watched her turn with a look of delight upon seeing her. "Daphne how wonderful to see you. I am so sorry for what happened last night. I came on behalf of Magda to see what kind of arrangements would be made." In Daphne's mind she could not see how this woman could possibly be something dark or sinister that would be a threat to her and her sister. She had to wonder while she was wrestling with her thoughts earlier if she truly were from the future was she a decedent of her sister Joanna?

Relaxing Daphne forced a smile to her lips and she had become gently spoken. "It has been a very distressing night with all that has happened. I am sure that as she was Quentin's wife that he will be making the arrangements and I could not help but notice the two of you earlier in the rear garden, I was surprised that he had not told you of the arrangements at that time." She walked to the fireplace and took up a position in front of the fireside seat. Slowly she lowered her body to the comfort of the seat. Folding her hands neatly in her lap she looked down and sighed deeply. "Edith has taken to her bed in hysterics. Daniel is slowly improving. Harriett has not told him of Jenny's death or what transpired when she attacked Edith and Quentin, as you can imagine the whole household his upset." She glanced up and Vicki saw she was uncomfortable around her.

Sighing softly, Vicki walked to sit next to Daphne and noticed she tensed being close to her. "Daphne what have I done to make you so nervous around me?" Vicki knew she needed to have another ally in this house and she would prefer it to be Daphne. Reaching for Daphne's hand she felt her tense more. "I am human Daphne, and I suspect you might have overheard some of what I told Quentin earlier and if that is the case, please afford me the same courtesy that you would give a stranger and allow me the chance to explain everything but not here under this roof." Vicki had spoken so delicately simple with her words that Daphne was compelled to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"I must confess Victoria I am disturbed by what I heard, but seeing you and looking into your eyes and seeing your soul. I cannot view you as a dark threat to this house or the people that live here. So, I will reserve my judgment and hold my thoughts and tongue but if at anytime you show that you might harm anyone of us here, I shall send for the bailiff and have you arrested for witchcraft." Her words had been equally spoken with sincerity and with the reserve she had said she would hold, then she did the one thing that gave Vicki hope. She offered her the tiniest of smiles.

"Then I beg you come to the old house later tonight so we may talk in private." The rest of their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the rest of the family as they began to gather in the drawing room to address the sad and sorrowful arrangements for a member of the family. While the family made the arrangements of showing the body in the library allowing the family members of Jenny access to the body afterwards to dispose of as they saw fit, Vicki silently and with out much notice left the Collins family to agree on one thing between them. Death was a necessary evil that required them to draw together and act as a family should during a time of sorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Wood path from Old House to Collinwood

Vicki hurried back to the old house, the sun would be setting in an hour and she wanted to make sure that the one room Barnabas had always held domain over was in perfect order. Rushing down the pathway she felt another set of eyes on her which forced her to lift her skits and stretch her legs as far and as fast as she could to run down through the narrow strip of woods that connected the two estates. Taking only one moment to glance over her shoulder, she felt her body spurned on to reach the old house and to avoid another nasty encounter with Petofi or Stiles. She knew she was at risk with this Daphne having access to her secret and now she had to make sure that Daphne understood how important this was and that she was not delusional.

Old House

Vicki hit the door with both hands and pushed into the house to the startled and unexpected looks of Talaithia and Julianka. They both were startled with the disheveled appearance of Vicki as she laid her back to the closed doors and closed her eyes. "Petofi is here!" She whispered in a gasp between breaths she was trying to calm. The reaction was immediate. Julianka pulled her knife, and Talaithia disappeared in search of the boys. Julianka slid the bolt across the door and led Vicki to the fireside chair.

]"Where is the dog?" She snarled glancing about the room nervously. Vicki reached for her hand that held the knife and gently lowered the knife and smiled tensely.

"At Collinwood. He found me in the woods earlier and thought to scare me with his presence. It did not work. Julianka, the heart where is the heart?" She was so concentrated with her look that Julianka felt her fear behind that façade of a smile. "We need your father King Johnny to bring me the heart of the Romano's. I left it with your grandmother in 1797 and now we need it here if I am to complete what I have been sent to do."

Julianka looked about the room and frowned deeply. "My father does not have the blade, he told me that you took it with you because it was your birthright to have it." She stood and looked around. "You must go change and leave me to see what must be done with Petofi now we know he is here. You will not leave this house alone again is that understood my lady." Julianka though younger than Vicki put her palm to Vicki's cheek and smiled like a mother would when comforting her child. Vicki looked into storm tossed colored eyes and returned her smile.

"Yes, I understand and I shall take a horse the next time I go to Collinwood." On shaky legs Victoria stood and walked to the steps. Stopping for a moment she looked to the door and could not shake the feeling she was still being followed even into the house. Shaking her head she started up the stairs when she felt a blast of cold air rush over her body freezing her to the bone and her progress up the stairs. From a far off distance she heard the call of something primal and familiar. Her eyes glazed over and she turned walking down the stairs to the door.

Julianka and Gregor were at the door in a flash, barring her exit from the house. Speaking softly, Julianka held one side of her arm and Gregor the other, "Go get Talaithia and send her with Mirela to me. We need to get her ready for the awakening of Mr. Collins." Gregor looked one more time to the door and then to his mistress and finally he nodded to Julianka and turned with a moments hesitation then walked off towards the interior of the house. Julianka frowned, there was deviltry about and she was going to find out from where it was coming. Her first impressions were Petofi had sent a sprite to torment them.

Deep in the forest area of Collinwood Estate

The caves were deep and the area was less than desirable for habitation but the occupant had no choice, he had to wait and bide his time. It mattered not if the area around him was cold, damp and smelled of decay. It mattered not that it was now growing towards dusk he knew he just had to bide his time and when it was right he would make it known he was present and he would rain hell down on those that had opposed him. His eyes glowed with a soft red intensity that allowed him to see everything and anything in the blackness that surrounded him. He had a plan and he was going to see it through. He had spent many a night following the many tunnels and caverns and he had found the connecting tunnels that led between Collinwood and the old house.

There was one among those that called themselves Collins that he intended to end his life. He had waited patiently and soon the time would come for him to take what he wanted and enjoy the company of another for which he had grown his affection. He had not followed her all the way to this god-forsaken town to loose her now and not claim the life of one he felt owed him. So he came over the tumultuous seas, through the burning deserts and through the Ice Dales and finally to the end of the earth to this place called Collinwood. Now if he waited and he bided his time he would have them both. He would claim his bride and he would end the life of someone that should have died when he first betrayed him.

Old House Library

Vicki was dressed comfortably in a day dress of proper fit. She had been adamant about the corset she would not put the thing on unless she left the house, they were worse than bindings and she considered them more of a torture than a foundation and preferred the comfort of just letting everything be natural. Sliding the last book on the shelf she stepped back to admire her work. Alexander had taken the last of the crates out of the room and left her to organize the books. She had placed them as she remembered them from his library in 1968. Smiling she sighed softly turning when she heard the door open, Barnabas stepped into the library and paused.

He walked further into the room and his eyes alighted with delight. Pivoting on his feet he looked around the room and spoke softly. "How did you know?" He looked gratified with the way she had took meticulous care to arrange the room as it had been when he lived in the house. "This is exactly as I had it when father gave me the house in 1797." He walked to Vicki taking her in his arms and held her tightly. Whispering against her ear he thanked her. "You have made me the most fortunate ecstatic man in the world by doing this. It is exactly how I would have arranged this room." His voice had taken on such a tender quality that Vicki was almost brought to tears.

"I know, this is how it is in 1968. I was able to recreate the room because of you my dearest one. This is your favorite room in the whole of the house and there have been many a night when I walked to pay call, you were in your library lost in one of those many books over there." She turned to point out the books she had brought up from the cellar. "They are the ones that were stored when the house was closed and left for the next occupants. I knew you loved this room and so I had Gregor and Julianka help me." She looked down her moment of elation was now replaced with sadness. "I suppose you were told by Sandor what happened?" Glancing up to see if he did know and would acknowledge her question.

"Yes, Sandor told me of Quentin's wife. He says that Magda had placed a curse on him and on the next full moon, Quentin will turn into a weir wolf." Barnabas looked distantly out the now dark window his own manner growing lost in his thoughts. "It would seem there is another Collins under a curse that will cause more death and destruction for those of this town." He sighed and turned looking over the room trying to find his joy in what this woman had done for him because she loved him. She loved him despite the fact he was what he had become thanks to Bradford.

"Barnabas, that is true but for the fact, this Quentin is the same Quentin in my time. The reason he lives and is as young as he was in this time is because of a portrait that was painted and then enchanted by Count Andréas Petofi. The picture will age and show the wear and tear of his body from all the evil he had done. Which this Quentin is a very bad young man and it took almost one hundred twenty-five years to change him to the man he is in my time. In other words the Count wanted to take Quentin's body, and use it as his own. He wanted the life of this body to last forever so he made Quentin and immortal. Now if the picture is destroyed or damaged, Quentin will feel the pain and will age and die." She chewed her bottom lip a habit she had when she was thinking through what she was going to say next.

Barnabas had noticed this habit and remembered how charming she was when she did this. Walking to his desk he took his seat. Leaning back he bridged his fingers together and studied her while she paced to the chair in front of the desk and sat. "But we changed things in the past when I was in your time. You see, when Quentin could control Henri from my time, he would give me some respite from the constant badgering that Henri was putting on me to marry him. We knew that Quentin could easily die or for that matter turn into a weir wolf since he occupied Henri's body, so Professor Stokes who closely resembled your Ben and whose body Professor Stokes used in your time. He found Charles Delaware Tate's father. Needless to say we had the portrait painted from an artist in 1797."

She stood and walked to the window. Lighting the gas lamp she turned and smiled, "So we changed history for this time frame because we already have a picture that will absorb his curse and we will not need to worry about him. However, Quentin had children and the curse encompasses all of the first born of Quentin's issues." She sighed softly and looked down lost in her own thoughts. Barnabas stood walking to her and taking her in his arms.

Lifting her chin he smiled, my dearest one, tonight we will not worry about Quentin Collins or his children. We will allow Magda her grief and time to recover. Tonight I want to learn all I can about you and how we came to become lovers in the future?" He spoke softly studied her face and the way her eyes shifted in color with all her emotions tumbling over her body. She blushed when he has said they were lovers. Which surprised him.

"Barnabas we are engaged, but the one thing I have made sure is that the night of our wedding, the night you claim me as your wife, you will be my first. My gift to you will be my virginity. You know this and you have respected me and are very touched by the fact I wish to wait until our wedding night to become true lovers." She was beat red while she explained to him that she was going to remain pure for him. "It was a part of my upbringing that had been taught to me from the time I was a small child growing up in a foundling home in New York City." She leaned into his hold and felt him tighten his hold on her.

For Barnabas her confession had touched him far deeper than he realized. Her confession that she was going to wait for him to be her first was as old fashion and old world as one could get being from modern times. She had to known him in the future, she knew too much about him for what she had said to be anything but the truth. He had taken from her and he could easily enter her mind if he tried. For him, with his relationship with her he did not wish to enter her mind. He wanted to take her word at face value and give her the benefit of the doubt. He had loved Josette; she had filled him with a sense of love and well-being. This woman was different from Josette. However, she was more like Josette than he realized until now.

He felt her break the hold, pulling back to look at him with eyes that searched and was filled with hope. It was the kind of look that he had long forgotten. It was compassion and a part of her humanity. "You said that Quentin and I are responsible for your abilities and your strength, would you care to explain to me how this happened?" He watched her tense. He knew he had hit a nerve for her and it upset her. He could feel she was wrestling with her conscious on what she would tell him. When she let out a deep sigh he knew she had resolved to keep nothing from him.

Walking to the fireplace she stood and watched the fire burn brightly in the fireplace and she began to tell him how she had fallen in love with him. He had been there for her during a very horrible time of her life. That they had their differences but it was her love for the past and his love that finally brought them together. How he had proposed to her and then asked for her hand in marriage from her employer and her charge's father. She had tucked her chin and spoke so tenderly when she spoke of this Elizabeth and Roger. Then she finally confessed. "You see I did not realize it at the time but Mrs. Stoddard, Elizabeth was my mother. She had been keeping that a secret from me because I was born out of wed lock and it was a secret she had kept most my life."

She looked up and turned smiling brightly, "I was elated to learn she was my mother and the local sheriff was my father. We were planning our wedding and something happened. I was at Dr. Lang's house and over heard you speaking with Quentin and Eric and Julia." She sighed deeply and he saw her eyes tear and she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You said perhaps you should break off our engagement. We had gone to hell and back and I thought you said you did not love me and wanted to break off our engagement." She smiled bravely and sighed deeply. "I was so upset that I ran down the hallway and fell down the stairs and well I broke my neck and according to Julia and Eric who are doctors I was clinically dead." She shivered recounting this story.

"I was taken to Eric's lab and they were able to bring me back to life but they needed life forces to mix with mine to keep me from passing over." She smiled bravely and held her head proud. Because you had been used as life force transference for Adam we could not use you without risking you dying. So Quentin volunteered to be a portion of the life force with yours." She walked to the chair and sat and looked distant. "After the procedure I discovered I was one of those that had received your vampiric gifts and Quentin's abilities to heal quickly." She glanced at him to see the look of wonder cross his face.

"Are you telling me I am normal in your time? I am human again?" He was grasping for hope that his life would not be this constant need to feed from another or the desire to destroy to get what he wanted. He was starting to feel he might have a life a normal life with a wife and children. The ability to grow old and die was a natural desire for him.

Vicki shook her head. "Barnabas you would never be normal my love, but you tolerate sunlight, you no longer need to feed from others and if you do have that desire we have blood we keep in a refrigerator for your use. We can transfer blood into your system to keep you from needing to go out and attack someone to seek your meal. You eat with the rest of us and do not need to throw up your food to keep it from rotting and souring on your stomach. You are as normal as someone with your unique abilities." She smiled and stood looking to the clock. "Which speaking of do you need to feed now, I know you have been up for a while. I am also expecting to have visitors from Collinwood and we must consider having them over for dinner one day this week."

He sighed deeply and looked at her, "I do need to feed so I won't be over taken with the desire and the need." He looked ashamed of his need and his desire to seek a blood meal. He walked to the window and was not about to ask her if he could feed. He would go out later and seek his meal. He felt her fingertips on his shoulders.

"Barnabas, please take what you need. I am the only one that can recover at a faster pace than the others. So take what you need for now. I will try and figure out a way to keep you some blood here for your needs when you need it. There has to be a way I could put some of my blood in a jar for you." She spoke so softly he felt ashamed that she was so giving for his needs. That is what was in evidence of how much she must love him in the future and he surely returned that love on an equal basis.

Barnabas gently pushed her hair aside, lowered his mouth to her neck and bit into her feeling her tense when he bit her and then he began to drink from her until he felt her grow weak. Lifting her he carried her to the chair and set her down. "My dearest one are you well enough to go up stairs and lay down on your own? Do you need me to carry you up the stairs?" He watched her head wobble and then she straightened and smiled.

"Just leave me here for a while. I shall recover quickly. I just feel a little weak." She offered him a brave smile and closed her eyes. Laying her head on the desk. Barnabas scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to Josette's room. Laying her on the bed, he covered her. Drawing a chair to the side of the bed he sat next to her and watched her drift off to sleep.

Collinwood drawing room

Daphne stood before the window watching the sunset and she sighed deeply. The mortician had come and prepared Jenny's body and she was now laid out in the library. Hearing the sound of footsteps behind her she turned to peer at Carl standing in the doorway. "You know my dear you look extremely tired, perhaps you should go lie down. You have been up most the night dealing with this mess." Carl entered the room more fully walking to Daphne to take her hands and kiss them. "My dearest Daphne I wish you would consider my proposal. You know I have tender feelings for you. Surely, you know by now how deeply I do care." He captured her gaze and held it with his sincere sad looking stare. He watched her smile and tuck her chin.

"Carl, I am very flattered by your offer but I am not the one for you. You love Pansy Faye, you need to go to her and offer your love, marry her and bring her here to be a part of this family despite your mother and father's thoughts. You two belong together." She pulled her hands from his. Walking back to the window to peer out into the now darkening lawn watching the shadows from the trees stretch across the lawn. She felt him come up behind her and kiss her earlobe and whisper softly.

"You are right mother and father would not approve but you know where my heart lies. I suppose you are right." He stepped back and smiled. "She is in Boston and will not return for a week and I feel a part of me went with her to Boston." Daphne smiled and put a hand of comfort on his shoulder.

"Then you should go to Boston and bring her back. Before you do, marry her in Boston and bring her home." Carl bent forward and kissed her cheek.

"Am I interrupting something?" Gabrielle wheeled his chair into the room with a snide and bored look on his face. "How touching, not only are you the favorite you seem to be going after the very same woman that Quentin wanted to claim for his bed this night." Gabrielle watched the two huddled in front of the window. His own anger was what he had witnessed earlier when he watched Quentin with Victoria and thought he had made an assignation with her for later. Thinking she was in the drawing room with Quentin he had dressed quickly and went directly to the drawing room to see Carl locked in a chaste and sweet kiss. He was annoyed he had been plotting and planning since he went to his room after watching the tender exchange between Quentin and his cousin's wife.

"Gabrielle, you really need to work on your deportment. I find you sadly lacking in the area of trying to be clever while being nothing more than a bully and cruel. If you think I am affected by the fact you are in that chair, you are sadly wrong." Carl had watched Daphne go beat red with the harsh words from Gabrielle and turned his annoyed irritation on his brother. "If anything I find you a poor excuse for a man let alone a gentleman." Carl tucked Daphne's hand in the bend of his arm and smiled. "Let us leave him to his own devices my dear and allow him no more targets for his banter or his perceived witty repartee he prides himself on having and is sadly lacking." Carl escorted Daphne past Gabrielle and paused.

"Your wife is in her room needing her husband but then again you would not care that she needs your support you only wish to go catch some flies or butterflies and pull their wings off for your amusement." Carl did not leave him room to retort he had already taken Daphne from ear shot leaving Gabrielle alone in the drawing room to sit and brood. From the door way another appeared and laughed.

"Poor Gabrielle, half a man or no man. You are the epitome of what is wrong with this family. " Gerard walked into the room going to the liquor cabinet. "What no quick witted return?" Gerard turned and noted the look of hatred that passed over Gabrielle's face. "I see you hope to kill me with a stare?" He laughed and walked to the window and looked out. "I would say that Gabrielle if you ever decide to try and be a man you might actually make something of your life. Until then. . . " From behind he felt the approach and turned seeing Gabrielle with a poker in his hand preparing to swing it on Gerard. From behind a hand came down and grabbed the end of the poker, jerking it from Gabrielle's hand.

"Not very cordial are you brother?" Quentin took the poker from Gabrielle and replaced it in the holder by the fireplace. "I would think that one death in the family is enough for a while. Why don't you go and check on Edith she has been asking for you."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Collinwood drawing room

Gabrielle glowered, jerked his wheel chair around and propelled his body from the room. Quentin turned from watching him leave and walked to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a drink. "I suppose it was fortuitous for you when I came in at the time I did." Quentin walked to a chair slumped down stretching his long legs out in front of him. Holding the drink in one hand he pinched the bridged of his nose with his fingers, closing his eyes. Gerard watched his friend and frowned.

"Have you not slept? You know she is prepared and laid out in the library." He walked to the sofa and sat watching his friend hold his drink, pinch his nose and wondered what had brought about this new melancholy, he was not in love with the woman. Sliding back on the sofa Gerard looked to the doorway. "I was not worried about Gabrielle, he is all bark and no bite. If anything he is a pathetic excuse for a man. No wonder Edith is always in your bed." Gerard raised his glass and sipped.

"Edith is not always in my bed. She wants to be in my bed and the only reason she married Gabrielle was so she could be in my bed because I would not make her a Collins. She is not exactly what I am looking for in female companionship." Quentin smiled and the twinkle was back in his eye. This had piqued Gerard interest.

"Really? What do you consider your preference for female companionship? Edith is tall, blond, and with that cool reserved one would think a sizzling prospect while bedding her." Gerard tipped his glass up and watched his friend from the corner of his eye while he stood to go and get another drink. If he kept drinking at this rate he would be drunk; something he did not like or desire. So this would be his last drink.

Quentin laughed, "She is as cold in the bed as she is out of that bed. She has as much passion to give as that poker with which Gabrielle hoped to stove in your head. No I like the ones that watch you and get to know you and then want to please you once you conquer their reserves. It is that total surrender once they give in while in the throws of their reserves and the look that smolders in their eyes. That is the sweetest part of the conquest." Quentin's voice had grown thoughtful while speaking of those he had experienced sexual congress. "Now those are the ones that you fight to get and reap the reward for that fight."

Gerard had to admit from his perspective as a noted rapscallion of this time Quentin was right. It was in the difficulty of the chase and the final capitulation when he had won. Then the interest was gone and it was on to the next challenge. For Quentin it was his women that had been like a drug. That was why he had married Jenny; she would not bed him without a ring. She was beautiful and wild. A gypsy that valued her purity until the wedding night. Gerard felt he had married her to bed her and to slap his father in the face of convention of bringing home the antithesis of what he felt a Collins should wed. Quentin made it more of a slap in his father's face. "And whom might be on the top of that list today my friend?" He was testing the waters to see if he had targeted his cousin's wife.

Quentin glanced up to see Daphne wearing her cloak and standing in the foyer appearing to be waiting for someone. Gerard followed his gaze and smiled. Quentin stood setting his glass of whisky on the table top and walked to the hallways. "Going out? He approached her and saw her back stiffen and a frown edge her lips along with the hard glare from her gaze. All of these would have been the signals that would have been a red flag for Quentin in the past.

Gerard smiled 'so it was the fair Daphne.' He smiled relieved it was Daphne and not Victoria. That was one goose he had wanted to target and claim for himself. He watched Daphne stiffen her back clutch her reticule closer and look down. "Yes, your mother, and brother Carl and I are going to pay a call on Barnabas and Victoria." She glanced up to see Harriett descending the stairs. Carl joined her from the library.

"Ahh mother and Daphne, the coach awaits. Excuse us Quentin we wish to call and get back before the storm hits. I suppose you saw the flags were put up and have been in a brisk wind most the day. Well from what the spotters say this is a massive nor'easter blowing in so we will pay our call and return. Do go see about the green house and make sure all doors and windows are secure, I would have sent old Jacob but he fell earlier and is down in his back." Carl clapped a friendly hand to his brother's arm then offered an arm to each of the ladies and allow Sadie get the door.

Quentin smiled, turning he saw Gerard grinning. "So its Daphne, that has caught your eye. I wonder why? Could it be because she loathes the very sight of you?" Gerard walked to the foyer and studied his friend. "I saw that look and this time it was different it was as if you were trying to be polite and it was hard for you to not just grab her and kiss her."

Quentin laughed uneasily, he had changed and it had been since this afternoon when he had his meeting with Victoria. She had awakened something in him that had touched him deeply. Perhaps it was something to do with the fact she had painted him as wealthy and a man made gentleman in the future. He had to admit when she spoke of the curse that Magda had placed on him, it had frightened him. Having thought it over it was not as frightening as he had thought previously.

After their conversation he had gone to the place she had spoke of and there was hidden in the slot by the fireplace a portrait of him. Looking at the portrait had horrified him. His life style and cruelty he had brought down on those that had not deserved it was all reflected in that portrait and a part of him at that moment had resolved to be different. To honor the life of Jenny, to respect women instead of use them and throw them away. Clapping Gerard on the shoulder he smiled, "I guess I find her intriguing and nice. Now excuse me while I go and secure the green house."

Gerard was struck to silence. Had he just heard a kinder gentler Quentin just volunteer to do as he was asked? "Well she has gotten to you my friend and I find that fascinating." Gerard watched Quentin walk off towards the kitchen and the green house. "This definitely bares looking into a little further with all the change that is going on around here because of some gypsies death."

"Not just any gypsy Gerard, but the cousin to King Johnny Romano, she is Magda Rakosi's sister is she not?" Victor walked down the stairs looking as if he had already staked a claim to Collinwood. Coming to a stop at the end of the steps he paused and walked to the portrait of Barnabas Collins resting on the foyer wall. "Does the current Barnabas look anything like his father?" Victor turned a questioning glance towards Gerard.

"Yes, a dramatic resemblance and very much like him in many respects except this one seems kinder in his face. I think it's the eyes that make him more like his father where the face is softer. Perhaps it is because he found love with the woman he wanted to be with and not arranged for him. Did not this one lust after the Uncle's wife?"

Victor smiled, "Yes, he did he had an affaire with Josette, her portrait hangs in the old house in a room dedicated to her. You should go and look at it sometime. You will see why he was attracted to her. This wife for Jeremiah was his second wife, his first wife died in a fire."

Gerard frowned, "Really? Did Edward's wife not go and throw herself into some fire pit in Egypt?" He studied the man's face in the portrait and noted the cane was a duplicate to the one the son carried. He noted he had information that Victor was not privy to and rather found some enjoyment in that.

"Really, I did not know she had died by fire. That is interesting. Jeremiah's first wife's name was Laura Murdock. He turned and walked into the drawing room going to the liquor cabinet. Pouring himself a drink; he walked to the French windows and looked out over the patio Knowing he had just imparted information to Gerard that must have him gnawing at the bit to ask him for more information.

"Really, what a coincidence Edwards maiden name was Murdock and her first name was Laura. I suppose Collins men are attracted to the Murdock women." Gerard refilled his glass and took up position next to Victor. "I find it incredible you know so much about the Collins history. How is that Victor? Why do you know so much about this family?"

"Because I make it a point to find out all I can about the people with whom I plan to ally myself when a battle is about to come and believe me Gerard there is a battle brewing and its going to sweep over this land like a poison and after all is said and done the darkness that comes with that poison will leave nothing pure or untouched in its wake."

Old House Josette's Room

Barnabas watched the slow rise and fall of her breasts and knew she had put herself into a deep healing sleep. His hands gently stroked the hair from her face and he smiled. "I can see why I love you in the future because I am falling in love with you now in this time." When a soft knock came from the door; Barnabas stood and walked to the door opening it. Sandor stood shifting uncomfortably in the hallway. Barnabas stepped out and closed the door. "What is it Sandor?"

"Beg pardon Mr. Barnabas, but Mrs. Harriett, Mr. Carl and Miss Daphne have come calling." He looked anxiously around him and down the hallway.

"Thank you Sandor, please tell them I will be right down. And Sandor do not let anyone disturb Mrs. Collins she is sleeping she complained of a headache earlier." Barnabas watched Sandor leave and he turned and walked back into the room. Walking to the hurricane lantern sitting by the bed. Barnabash turned it down allowing the shadows to encroach the room. For a moment he paused, lifted his chin slightly tilted his head and looked about the room with a look of concern. "Is there anyone here?" In answer to his question there was a low roll of thunder across the rooftops sending the vibration across the land testing the house's foundation. Shaking his head he walked to the doorway and quietly opening the door. Pausing he turned and looked around the room one last time and closed the door.

With the closing of the door, from the window darkness crept into the room, flowing over the window seal down to the floor and to the center of the room blending and shifting to the shadows around it. The blackness shot up to form an image of a man. He stood at the foot of the bed, in his long black cloak his eyes studied the figure upon the bed, lifting his arm another figure formed next to him. "Is she the one?" His voice was hallowed and the elocution of that voice was soft but encompassed the room in a hushed whispering form.

The figure looked up and nodded slowly, "It is her Master, she is the one from the future that is here to protect the people from Petofi." From the doorway another entered the room and stood next to the one that had just spoken.

"King Johnny? The original King Johnny?" Magda's voice was filled with awe, looking upon the face of the one long dead and not forgotten. The original King Johnny. His black soulless eyes peered through Magda and he nodded. He watched her go on bended knee and reach for his dead hand and kiss the back of it. "I am yours to command King Johnny. We owe you everything."

His voice though not as commanding as the taller dark figure that watched intrigued by the exchange between the two smiled, this was something he could use. "Why have you come King Johnny? Why now and who is this you bring with you?" She glanced fearfully over her shoulder to the darkness that now looked more like a living moving shadow form.

"We come bringing back the heart of the Romano's to the one that will wield its power to protect our people. But my master thinks he will keep it because he is the one that wants to end the life of Petofi for being so vain and ungrateful for the gifts he had bestowed on him so long ago."

Magda's eyes widen. "Then what will happen to the little one here? She must be sent back to her time. The strigoi here use her to feed from and she sleeps now to heal herself from his last meal." The words she spoke volumes to the dark shadow figure.

His voice was deep and filled with curiosity and was cold as the death he brought with him in the room. "You say she has been marked by the youngling that was here earlier?" He turned those dark impervious eyes upon Magda and it made her cower.

"Yes, she is not like others of our kind, she is different, she has the same abilities as you, except she walks in the daylight and she does not need the blood of others to live." She watched him glide to her side and lower his body to the bed He leaned over Victoria's inert body and sniffed her and smiled.

"She has evolved, she carries the life force of an immortal and the life force of a strigoi. She has died and returned to life by the sharing of the life forces. The one she bears is from the youngling that just left." Rising he turned to peer from the door back to his two children. "She is marked for the one that just left." He frowned thinking of this. He was not sure if he wanted one of his children married to a strigoi. "Come King Johnny we have much to prepare and a time is coming to end Petofi for good."

"How is this going to happen if you strigoi take her place?" From the portrait over the fireplace another figure formed and Josette walked from her portrait down into the room to join the congregation around Vicki. She drifted to the bed and took up position of protection next to Victoria and looked at those gathered.

"No one will harm Victoria she has come to complete her destiny and to help her people. You would do well to work together on this because there is a gathering coming of some very powerful beings and once they are here, even you Vlad Tepes will not be out of harms way. You will need her for whatever purpose or means you expect to exert over Petofi, even now he is gathering the most powerful allies he can find to take back what he believes is his to keep and he will try to destroy you given the chance."

Vlad was not arrogant enough to think that time had been his friend, he was smart enough to have been honing and cultivating his own darker powers to use. He walked to the other side of the bed and looked down at the sleeping form, the only light now in the room from the hurricane lamp that burned low in its bulb. "I am not that foolish Josette Collins, I am patient and I will bide my time." He studied Vicki and smiled. "She looks a little like the original Julianka. My beloved Julianka given to me as a gift from King Johnny." He reached over and stroked her cheek and looked at the transparent figure of Josette. "So, now we gather and we meet later and we plan, before this is said and done let us see if Collinwood still stands."

He looked at King Johnny's ghost, "Be gone back to your grave until you are needed again." The figure of King Johnny filtered faded and dissipated into the shadows from where it was born, looking at Josette he bowed, and began to shimmer into the liquid darkness that he had once been and he was gone. Josette looked at Magda.

"You must guard her well, she is an innocent in all of this and does not deserve what is about to happen and if she is not watched and protected she will become a victim." Josette turned and she too was gone leaving Magda to look upon the sleeping form of Victoria.

"You are to be protected and Magda will see to that." Walking to the bed she frowned seeing the bruising on her neck. "The monster drank from you again, why do you let him do it?"

Magda watched her eyelashes flutter and a very tender smile edge the corners of her mouth. "Because I love him Magda, and I must find a way to store my blood for him. If I could but fill one wine bottle a day he would have it to satisfy his bloodlust and not need to feed. Then others would be safe from him. We do it for him in the future, we store blood in a container we call a refrigerator." Vicki tried to push herself upon the pillows and found she was still weak and the room had grown cold. Glancing to the window she saw the flash of lightening and sighed. "Another storm, I need to get up we are having company."

"They are here the monster is entertaining them in the drawing room. You should rest he took too much as usual." She looked thoughtful. "You leave to Magda, we find a way to put blood up for him so he does not have to feed on you no more. We all take turns filling up wine bottles and will store them in the cool cellar down below. That way he will not need to feed from you or anyone huh?" She smiled watching Vicki nod slowly then shake her head.

"I could not ask you to do that. It is unfair to expect you to take care of him." She sat up and turned in the bed, planting her feet flat on the floor and trying to stand only to be overwhelmed with a wave of dizziness. Sitting quickly she cradled her head in her hands. "I guess I tried to get up too soon."

Magda nodded, "Yes, you did. You need to know we here to protect you and you will let us help you. If he feeds from wine bottle he won't attack our people and put you at risk when you need to be at your strongest." Magda was fussing in her hour of grief she was watching out for Vicki. For that Vicki was thankful.

Standing a little stronger, Vicki balanced and then walked to the door. "I need to go down to the drawing room to help Barnabas entertain our guests. I know that they came tonight of all nights with your grief and theirs, and Magda they are grieving they had accepted Jenny and they loved her too. Now there is this storm coming in. So, I need to go down and discuss the dinner and the collection of Jenny's body after the funeral. You and Sandor will be allowed to collect Jenny's remains and we, Barnabas and I thought you might bury her in the family cemetery where we have plots set aside for our family, we would be honored if you choose one of the vaults there."

She had hoped she had not spoken out of turn to cause her more grief and she saw Magda's reaction with a look of shock then she appeared to be thankful rushing to Vicki to throw her arms around her and hug her tight. "You are a good woman Victoria Collins, we will be honored to have her rest in a place of good standing." She hugged Vicki tightly laying her head on Vicki's shoulder.

Vicki hugged her in return. "it is only right she is a member of the family, mine and yours and as such she is a Collins and deserves that respect." She patted her back and sighed softly. Breaking the hug she looked deeply into Magda's eyes and spoke sincerely, "Now you understand I will always protect our families." She smiled and saw Magda nod and smile in return.

"I know you do, now you go and I will have Julianka bring tea to the drawing room with those pretty little cookies they like to eat to make them fat." She had taken on that hard sound to her voice as she mimicked the rich and privileged of Collinwood. Which only caused Vicki to softly chuckle.

"I suppose you are right. But they are good people too. Never doubt that Magda. Family may not get along, but blood will always be thicker than water." Vicki hugged Magda one more time then turned and walked to the door. Pausing, she rested her head against the door and felt the eyes of the night upon her and this bothered her, turning she looked around the room and the questioning look on Magda's face. "Darkness has arrived, more than we want or realize. I feel Peter Bradford has returned and with him he brought his lover Angelique." Vicki shook her head and looked down. "If ever I needed some help, I do so now Magda." Walking through the doorway she slowly walked to the upstairs balcony and steps.

Drawing Room Old House

Barnabas stood pouring out a cordial for Carl and waited for tea to be brought for the ladies. "I beg your pardon, but Victoria had a slight headache and had to lay down for a while. I am sure once she is recovered she will join us." He watched them take a seat on the settee and the fireside chairs. "Now Carl you help your father with the shipping business. How is business faring?" Barnabas sat down and watched Carl look around the room and smile brightly.

"I am happy to say the company has been flourishing, with trade from England and the British West Indies we have pretty well cornered the market on the cane fields and the slave trade has grown considerably." He laid his hat on the table next to him and sipped his drink. He noted Barnabas frown at the mention of the slave trade. "I see you are one of those sympathizers that does not believe in the trading of flesh and the peddling of it for domestic chores? I can assure you in the south where we have opened offices the prices are equitable and the slaves we sell are given over to the finer homes and plantation owners."

Barnabas shifted uncomfortably, "I understand my own father objected to your great grandfather's trading in slaves, which was one of the reasons he separated from the family and moved to England. I fear I follow his thoughts on the matter, as I am his son. I do not believe in slaves or the procurement of them. I would have thought with the trade and the shipments of spices and cane from the islands that you would have made more than enough money to keep you all secure and wealthy for years to come."

Carl frowned and looked down, he did not agree with his father Daniel with the use of the Collins transporting ships to be used as slave ships and wondered how the Collins family managed to maintain the wealth he had to ask Victoria when she was recovered. "I myself was considering setting up a fleet of ships for fishing and using a local warehouse to possibly pack them and ship them over the colonies and back to England."

"Which would be a fantastic idea husband. I think that is an admirable idea. I could easily see Collins Fishing Fleet in the near future and it would be a wonderful success!" Victoria stepped into the room and smiled graciously for those present. She let her gaze travel from her husband to land on Harriett, then Carl and finally to Daphne who returned her smile. She watched Carl start to rise and she waved him to be seated. With Barnabas at her side he gently guided her to the chair next to him and helped her to sit.

"Victoria we heard you were ill with a headache. I hope you are improved?" Daphne had made a decision earlier that she trusted her even if she was not sure why she was here. As long as she harmed no Collins family member or her sister she was going to trust her instincts and something about this woman had touched a part of her that shouted out that she was a good person even if she thought she was from the future.

Vicki smiled and nodded, "it was a mild discomfort from the approaching storm, I fear that I do not weather well this Maine climate at this time. It did create a minor headache that a little nap was in store and as you can see it has restored me. She folded her hands and looked up to see Julianka wheel the trolley into the room. The reaction of Carl to Julianka was immediate he stood and rushed to her side.

"Here my dear allow me to help you with this cart, no one as lovely and delicate as you should push such a heavy object." He took her hands and placed a light kiss on them and smiled into her gaze. Harriett watching her favorite son make a fool of himself over a serving girl was not upset if anything she was relieved, Carl had finally shown he was not immune to the charms of a pretty girl.

His actions startled Julianka and when he touched her hands and then kissed them she blushed then her gaze went distant and she blinked and dropped her eyes. In that moment she saw Carl, dead on the side of the road with a bullet through his heart. Turning she gently pulled her hands from his smiled graciously cupped his chin and spoke softly, "Many tomorrows will bring only sorrow for you my dear man. May your todays shine with the sun and bring you love when you least expect it." She turned bowed to them and left them to ponder her curious words.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Carl watched the beautiful young woman walk away with a smile and a curious look. "Who is that ravishing creature that spoke so mysteriously?" He turned to put that question to Victoria and Barnabas. He slowly lowered his body to the fireside chair with a hopeful occasional look to the doors hoping for another glimpse of the sweet looking creature that just stole his heart.

Daphne watched and hid a polite smile behind her hand. Carl was so fickle over a pretty face that he lost interest in her the minute that sweet young girl entered the room. Daphne thought that was what being moon struck meant. Glancing down to her hands she spoke softly, "Carl I believe she is Victoria's maid." She looked to Vicki for confirmation.

"Actually, she is my relative by marriage from my mother's side of the family. I reconnected with my traveler's past once I arrived here in Collinsport and heard that the Romano family had lived in this part of the colonies." She looked down pretending to be embarrassed for not divulging this before now. "You see, my grandmother on my father's side was a Romano and married a gorger." She had to pause and think if this woman that was here and now was her great grandmother? She smiled knowing she would produce her father.

"Oh? And what is this young woman's name?" Harriett was truly interested because that would mean that Daniel could not complain if Carl took and interest in her if she were directly related to Victoria who was considered titled and from a respectable family.

'That is Julianka Romano; she is also the niece to the lady that lives here with us, Magda. I believe you know her well Harriett, she comes to read your cards does she not?" Vicki had given Barnabas a reprieve from the tedious discussions of trivial things and the affaires of a young man's heart. She would need to discuss with him her feelings that Peter Bradford and Angelique were close by and she was concerned as to how she knew this without seeing them. Perhaps it was her connection to Barnabas through their life force exchange that allowed her to sense where Bradford was so was Angelique, she worried that Nicholas was here too. This caused her some concern.

Prior to Harriett and Daphne leaving, Barnabas and Vicki had arranged for the family to come to dinner by the end of the next week. This would give them plenty of time to arrange the meal and allow Victoria to explore Collinsport. Truthfully, she did not wish to constantly use the Rakosi family as her servants and knew that there should be more help to draw from in town. She had thought about using them during the day and early evening and allowing them to go home. They did not need to live in the house which when Vicki had suggested this to Harriett and Daphne they thought it a novel idea. With hugs and good wishes to each other Vicki and Barnabas watched them hurry to their carriage and begin their journey back to Collinwood before the storm made landfall.

Vicki could not help but notice the disappointment written on Carl's face when Julianka had not reappeared. That Julianka was not available because she was keeping herself busy with chores. Thus this excuse was enough to keep her from sight and not with the intention of avoiding Carl. That was when Carl tried to hint for another invite and Vicki felt compelled to invite them to visit with her anytime. This brought an immediate smile to Carl's face. "Oh Cousin Victoria you are so generous. You really must come to visit and bring your cousin with you to Collinwood as well as our visiting here."

Vicki smiled brightly reached forward impulsively to hug Carl. This whole action was observed by the one in the woods that now had a grudge to bear not only against Quentin but now he appeared to be competing with that foolish little twit of a brother Carl. He watched how she hung next to Barnabas, he eye lighting up her face with the brightness of that smile. The way she stood and folded her hands in front of her and the lively way she bobbed her head while she was explaining something and when she was wishing them all goodbye how she tenderly stepped forward to enfold them against her body and hug them. Laying her chin over their shoulders and smiling because she truly was giving of herself.

That is what Edith lacked. A true expression and giving of herself and here without thought was this beautiful woman that seemed to encompass everyone with her genuine love. Perhaps that is what he needed, someone capable of showing him true love. Why her? Why was it this woman? Gabriel was sure it was because she was the in comparable and unattainable and that was what had always attracted Quentin to his women who all hated him to begin with and then could not live without once they were with him. This was what was driving Quentin to the one woman that Gabriel had wanted. Stepping back and turning he knew he needed to get back to Collinwood before his family's carriage arrived.

Collinwood Josette's bedroom

Vicki left her dressing room having changed into her nightgown and robe. Smiling she glided into the room, earlier when she had left Barnabas he had held her and they had shared a kiss a deep passionate kiss that she brought to her bedroom. In her mind she could hear the song they always danced to and she began to hum and then sing the song while she brushed her hair, a part of her wanted to dance to the song and the music she heard in her mind. Turning and gliding, then pirouetting around the room she did not notice her door open and Barnabas pause in the doorway watching her dance to her song. He leaned against the door folding his arms across his chest and crossed his ankles watching her. "You know we have a ballroom where if I could entice the lady to join me we could go there and enjoy the rest of the night in each others arms dancing the night away."

Vicki staggered to a halt and turned blushing a bright red, then her eyes lit up and she smiled. "I know about the ballroom and its beautiful. Do you really want to go and dance in the ballroom?" She was excited about the fact that he had invited her to dance. He was enchanted with the way her face lit up and the glow of anticipation filled them both. Barnabas pushed from the door frame, walked into the room and swept her up in his arms, holding her gaze with his own.

"I would dearly love to hold you in my arms and dance with you all night long my dearest one. Seeing you glide so gracefully around the room just now, made me remember why I had fallen in love with Josette so long ago." Vicki glanced to the picture and winked.

"Then come my love, come to the ballroom and let me allow you one more dance with Josette this night." She whispered against his ear. "You see, I can channel her into my body. She has come to my rescue many times in the future and the least I can do for you both this night is to let you hold each other one more time." She watched the look on his face light up with the thought of being able to hold his beloved one more time through her. Carrying her to the ball room he stepped to the center of the room and lowered her down to the floor.

"Now my dear the song you sang earlier will you sing it again?" He took her into her arms and she nodded turned to look around the room, closed her eyes and with the lightening illuminating the room she waited for the familiar feeling to come over her. While she began to move, she smelled the jasmine fill the air, and she started to sing,

"I need your love, god speed your love to me. Lonely rivers flow to the sea to the sea to the open of arms of the sea oh yeah, lonely river sighs wait for me wait for me, I will be coming home. Whoa my love my darling I hunger I hunger for your love … and time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much are you still mine? I need your love, I. . . I . . . I . . . I really need your love god speed your love to me."* Her eyes fluttered and she felt her mind taken and she was now in that safe place.

Barnabas had held her close and knew this felt right, when he realized that the woman he held was now singing the song in French. "Ai besoin de votre amour, un dieu accélérer votre amour pour moi. Les rivières solitaires coulent vers la mer à la mer pour l'ouverture des bras de mer oh ouais, soupirs solitaires fluviaux attendre, je vous attends pour moi, je viendrai à la maison. Whoa mon amour ma chérie je la faim je la faim pour votre amour ... et le temps passe si lentement, et le temps peut faire beaucoup vous êtes toujours le mien? Je besoin de ton amour, je je je je vraiment besoin de votre amour vitesse de dieu de votre amour pour moi."* Pushing her back he peered down into her gzze and noted that her eyes had shifted to a soft brown color. She smiled and nodded.

"Oh my sweet Barnabas, Victoria had given us this chance to be together. I wanted you to know, I am here. I will protect you, and her. She is a good woman and you have finally realized in the future she is not me but she is her own person and you have found love in her arms. I wanted you to know this night I was always at your side in the mausoleum while you waited to be freed. I am earth bound until I know all Collins family are safe. That is my curse to walk this earth and haunt this house. So I only ask you love her as you loved me. Protect her as I do and never forget my love I am with you here." She touched her fingertips to his heart smiled, and her eyes fluttered.

Once again, Vicki stood in his arms and she felt light headed from being returned to her consciousness. Barnabas once again swept her up in his arms and sighed deeply. Pressing his cold lips to her forehead he kissed her and carried her back to Josette's room and gently laid her on the bed. "Tonight I hold you Victoria in my arms and I will protect you my dearest one."

Collinwood West Wing Ballroom

Henrietta had gone to Daphne and asked her to go check the doors to the ballroom to make sure they were secured; she had recalled the gardeners had been using the ballroom as an entrance to the interior of the house from the rear gardens. Daphne had walked down the long wide hallway heading to the ballroom when she felt a cold rush of air and frowned. "One of the doors must have blown open." She picked up her pace and rushed into the grand ballroom to stand poised in the middle of the doorway. Looking around at the dark room she was glad the lightening was giving her a full view of the room. There one of the doors was blowing open and closed in the wind. Rushing to the door she snagged the handle and pulled it closed, when she felt a hand close down over her hand, helping her fight the wind and close the door.

She knew it was Quentin just by the smell of his cologne and the touch of his hand over her hand. Tucking her chin she stepped out of his way and let him secure the door and pressed her back to the door on the right. Quentin struggled for a moment was able to latch the door when he turned and leaned into it and looked down into her inquisitive eyes. "Do you know how utterly beautiful you are?" He leaned in to capture her lips and press a tender kiss to her lips. He watched with amusement her eyes fly wide with surprise and then he felt it a beginning of the surrender, her arms had gone up to embrace him when she realized what she was doing she stepped back from him.

"You take privileges that are not yours to have Mr. Collins." Daphne stepped away only to feel him reach for her wrist and grab it pulling her back against him. He felt her tense and then relax in his hold. He smiled and bent to place a light kiss on her forehead.

"You know Miss Harridge, one of these days I will wear you down and you will be more amenable to my advances and you will welcome them. Do you know why?" He had dropped his chin so his lips were against her ear and she could feel the warmth of his breath against her earlobe and neck. Pushing against his chest, she stepped back and glared at him.

"I hardly think a day will come that I will welcome you into my arms or my life Mr. Collins, your wife is lying dead in the library and you are trying to seduce me here in the ballroom. I find your actions reprehensible. I will promise you this, the moment that Joanna has wed Edward, I will be leaving Collinwood and you and this selfish vindictive family forever." Daphne turned to rush from the room, when felt her wrist captured one more time and Quentin jerked her back into his hold.

"The least you can do is give me a dance before you rush out of here." He pulled her up close to his body and pressed into her body and began to sway with her on the polished dance floor, whirling her around and around the room in a waltzing motion. Holding her intense gaze with his mischievous filled gaze he shifted his smile to a smirk. "You see my dear Daphne, you might find me a scoundrel and a cad, but know this, I have never felt this way about a woman before and today I discovered the reason I had these feelings were because I am falling in love with you and I don't want any one else but you." He spun her out brought her back and dipped her over his arm and leaned down to place a light kiss on her lips, set her upright, releasing he, he walked away from her and paused in the doorway to look at the stunned look on her face. Laughing softly he continued on down the hallway leaving her to think about what he had just said.

Seaview Cottage

Gabriel sat in front of the warming fire he waited for his Uncle Mac to come in from securing the shutters to the house. He knew what he wanted and how he was going to get it and when. The problem was he needed to know when his Uncle MacAllist4er was going to sea again. He looked around the nice comfortable confines of the room and noticed the rug kicked back revealing a trap door, which must have been hidden underneath the rug. Curious he looked around and stood from his wheel chair to investigate the trap door and smiled. Below the room was a cellar. That would be a good place to hold someone and keep them prisoner until they saw reason. Hearing his uncle returning he rushed back to his chair and sat quickly covering his legs with the lap rug. Gabriel waited and as the man that was his great Uncle Silas McAlister Collins , his grandfather's brother was as tall and imposing as he was sure Jeremiah had been.

He had come to Collinsport to retire. However, because he was a sea captain he just could not get past the coastline to live. For that matter he could not really leave his first mistress the sea, so he still took a ship out when the need hit him. Now all Gabriel needed to do was find out when he was going to take his next trip and then he would have access to his Uncle Mac's house. "Well Gabriel what brings you down here on such an blustery day as to day me boy?' Uncle Mac looked very much like his grandfather Joshua had looked he was thin only a little taller, with full sideburns and piercing blue eyes. He did not smile much and he kept to himself because life was more comfortable with the smell of the brine and the roll of the waves.

"Uncle Mac, I was wondering if you were planning another trip to sea? I was hoping you could bring me something special back if you were headed to England or for that matter the West Indies?" He leaned forward and shifted his weight in the chair and then settled back against the tall back to relax his weight to the tailbone. He was going to have to do something soon to let them know he could walk, this sitting in the chair was beginning to tire him and make him feel weak from his hips down.

Mac watched him, cocked his head then asked, "Boy you need to try and get out of that chair more often, before you really do become a cripple." Mac lit up his pipe and deliberated the reaction to his statement.

"How long have you know and how did you know?" Gabriel smiled he knew if Uncle Mac had any knowledge of his ability he would have told someone so he must have a plan. 'You wily old bastard.' Gabriel thought watching the man dissect him under the heavy brows he now sported to accent his sideburns.

"Known from the beginning that you wanted to punish yer family and yer brother Quentin, know why you want to best your brother Quentin?" He chuckled with his own little secret. Puffing on his pipe he smiled waiting for an answer.

"Of course I want to know, I never fit in with them and I just used this to secure my position within that house. Now I want something and I cannot take it unless by force." He growled low and watched the old man before him.

"Because you ain't a true Collins, that is why you are the dark horse and don't fit in." He let those blue eyes drift to the shuttered window giving the appearance he was drawing on a long forgotten memory. "Oh don't get me wrong, you are Harriett's son, it is you don't belong to Daniel." He chuckled softly looked back at the stunned look on the boy's face.

Gabriel was feeling an intense anger with his Uncle, he was impugning his mother's good name and reputation and he may not have liked Daniel but he did love his mother. Throwing the blanket off of his legs, he stood with his fist drawn back and glaring at the old man in from of him demanding, "What do you mean I ain't Joshua's son, my mother would never go against her upbringing and she would never ever submit willingly to another man's intentions. She was bred a prim and proper lady of standing." He wanted to punch the old bastard in the face for defiling his mother's virtue.

Mac was not the least bit disturbed by is outburst. He watched him under those busy brows and continued to calmly puff om his pipe. Speaking rationally he spoke with a degree of command, "Exactly me boy, she did not go willingly to another. She was taken and a little while afterwards you were born. Why do you think she rushed to have Carl?" Mac slumped down and folded his arms over his chest. He watched Gabriel stagger back and slump to the chair with a heavy sigh. Mac smiled and spoke more placatingly, "Now before you get irritated with me fer tellin ya about this maybe you should go talk to your momma. As fer me next trip I will not be leavin' here for another six months boy. I am going to British West Indies. So what were you needin'?

Gabriel was feeling his world spin out of control, he was not a true Collins and his father knew it whey did he accept him as his son? "Who was my father? What happened to him?"

"Hanged, yer acceptin' Daddy made sure of that. He was caught, convicted by reason of a lynch mob and hanged from that tree out by wider's hill." He laid his pipe bowl in the dish and pushed himself up. "Thing is boy, when she came up pregnant the whole family agreed that the child she bore would always be considered her's and Dan'l. So Dan'l demanded everyone agree to it and we did. Thing is baby's come and you came a bit short for you to be any other than the scurvy dog that took yer momma." The old man stood up and walked to the fireplace and looked into the fire.

"Rumor had it he was in league with the devil, and had used a spell on her to get her to come to him. Thing was," he smiled thinking about the young and beautiful Harriett. "Your mother had a strong will. Sos when she got there she broke the spell ad that is when he took her and was none too kind about it. He had a grudge against your acceptin' poppa and wanted to ruin him and Harriett's good name and reputation." Mac turned and smiled, "That is why I know you be a part of him but yer got a lot of your momma in ya." Mac turned to the nearest table that held a bottle of rum and he poured them both a strong drink handing it to his nephew. Gabriel was stunned; turning his chair he watched the fire holding the drink in his hand. Mac could tell he was mulling over what he had just learned. Taking his free hand he clasped it on his shoulder.

For Gabriel he knew he had almost hated his father, he had always took the sides of all his siblings. He had always felt he was the odd child out and now he knew why. Daniel knew he was not his son, but he did accept him and give him the Collins name. Which also meant he would have a share of the Collins' fortune some day. He was if nothing conflicted and he needed time to reconsider his life and the course he would take in this newfound information. He was going to talk to his mother, he wanted the name of his father and he wanted to know all he could about his father. Did he have other brothers or sisters?

"I be thinkin' boy ye need ta go home and talk to yer momma. She has all the answers and maybe then some that would ever need ta be knowin' all about who aye really are. " He watched Gabriel look at the glass of rum, lift it and down it in three gulps. Mac waited for the reaction. It came with the tearing of the eyes and the scrunching of the face then the gasp and then came the coughing.

"My god how can you drink this?" He coughed again, setting the glass down and turning back to face his Uncle. His voice was rough from the burning liquor. "When you go out again, I will be walking and I want to go with you on your next voyage. I think it is time I left Collinsport and Collinwood for a while. I have a lot of soul searching to do." Mac laughed and nodded.

"Well fer tonight with that blowin' a gale why not stay and make yerself comfortable here. I be goin' ta bed soon, not much more ta do while that be comin' in with a vicious force." Mac stood clamped his hand on his nephews shoulder. "Fer whut its worth me boy, I always thought of ya as me favorite." He smiled, turning ambling off to the stairs to go to bed and leave his nephew to his own thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Quentin's bedroom

Quentin laid on his back, his arms folded and fingers locked together supporting the back of his head. He watched a point on the ceiling not really seeing it but thinking about what had happened earlier. She had looked so pretty, her hair blowing wildly around her head, the look of frustration filling her while she fought with the door against the wind. He had put his arms down around her and tried to help her only watch that frightened doe look come across her face and then that lovely shade of red. How she had skittered away from him and allowed him to use his brute force to close the door, turning to watch her pressed up against the window. There it was that look of confusion and then for a moment he reed in her gaze capitulation? He smiled remembering how she had ran from him and then given into the kiss.

He could feel how pliable she was becoming while they waltz around the ballroom floor. He cared about her, which was something different for him. Edith had been revenge sex against Gabriele. Jenny, here he had to take a moment to think about sweet Jenny. He felt a lot of remorse when it came to Jenny. She had been so exciting, so sexy and so full of temptation and lust for him. Now he thought back to that time so long ago when he had first met her.

Two years earlier

Petofi had given Quentin refuge from the acolytes' of Ra. He had gotten on a ship leaving the coastline of Romania and then he had landed in Istanbul or more like he had been tossed from the ship he had hidden on and was soon discovered to be a non-paying passenger. Once they made their next port, he was summarily tossed onto the docks after a pretty roughing up. That was where he first met Jenny. She was so beautiful with the moonlight catching the highlights of her hair. She smiled and he was mesmerized. She had helped him to her small room in a cabaret where she performed. She helped him wire home for money.

One night while Jenny was singing and dancing a large man with thick glasses and a distinct accent entered the room. He had paused seeing Quentin draped over the bar with his arms folded around his glass. Petofi had paused and smiled. Walking to him to clap him on his back. "Henri?"

Quentin twisted and smiled in return. "Not hardly Henri. Unless he has a lot of money and I could easily get access to his bank account. The name is Quentin, Quentin Collins." He turned sideways leaning to the bar and extended his hand. He watched Petofi hesitate and then a knowing smile twinkled in his eyes.

"Collins you say? Related to the Collins of Collinsport Maine?" He watched Quentin and knew he had to be related because he looked too much like Henri. When he had first seen him he knew it had to be Henri or Henri's kid. For Petofi his life was beginning to look ore promising, this body was beginning to wear out and he would need another. He would have taken Henri's a long time ago but for that interfering bitch Victoria Winters. He cursed the Romano's again for doing this to him. Now out of the blue here was an opportunity he could not resist.

So, that night after several drinks and some slight coercion Petofi had lured Quentin to his home in Hungary. Quentin kissed Jenny goodbye and followed Petofi. Life was good and when one of Ra's acolytes' had shown up and tried to kill Quentin, Petofi had him dispatched with little or no thought. When the money arrived from his father, that was just enough for him to get home, Quentin was once again living the high life under Petofi's auspices. Petofi was already making up his mind he wanted Quentin's body and he wanted the power that came with the Collins family empire.

Quentin was growing restless again, and that is when he met up with Jenny, having squandered the money his father had sent, leaving the sanctity of Petofi's home that night Quentin had gone on the road with Jenny. Oh how he had wooed her, wore her down and finally had her where he wanted and that was in his bed but he had gotten too drunk and when he had awaken in her arms the next morning he had discovered they had been married and he was now tied to her. She rolled away from him reached over and grabbed a letter and handed it Quentin. "It arrived after you left with that man. I cam looking for you."

It was a letter with money from his mother, she begged him to come home. What she had failed to tell him was that Daniel had arranged a marriage for him upon his arrival home. How shocked they all had been when he arrived with a wife in tow and of all things she was a low class gypsy woman with no money or title. Daniel had been incensed by his son's blatant disregard for their family or its future. So, Edith had married Gabriele. But for Quentin they had been lovers from the moment she said, "I do." So she was his revenge sex.

Quentin rolled over on his side and hugged his pillow. He had never thought one woman could capture his attention. He had thought he was a hopeless rounder that would not want to settle down, His running off with Jenny and then when Quentin had received word from Laura that she had survived that horrific fire and wanted him to come and bring her home, it had caused such a horrific row between Jenny and him that he had packed with her pleading him to stay. "Quentin, can she not just come home on her own? Why do you need to go and bring her home? You have a family here, you have me, and you have our future here with us!" She had clung to him, the one thing he had made her promise she would not do. She had fallen to the floor sobbing hysterically watching him walk out of her life.

He now had to consider what that had done to her and in eventuality it had sent her spinning into madness, not so much because he had left her in the lap of luxury, which she never gave a rats ass for, it was because she had been pregnant with his twins and was about to tell him that night until he walked out on her. It was upon his return he had been told Jenny had left, little had he realized she had gone mad after the babies were born and was locked in the tower room being cared for by Daphne. He did not find out about his children until later when Daphne had taken quiet a lot of pleasure, which he felt was her sadistic pleasure in showing in the grave of his son. The other child had been sent away and no one knew where that child had been placed.

Edith had told him what had happened after he left, she had been so brutal telling him, "She was pregnant Quentin, she was so besotted by you that when you left her world crumbled around her and she slowly descended into madness, this family that finds a spark of humanity in anyone sucks the life out of you. That is what they did to you sweet Jenny. The only life she showed was when her sister came and took up residence in the old house." Edith had strutted around the room, running her fingertips over the furniture, pausing for dramatic posing and then walking about again to drive another nail into his heart. "Then she started to show, your father was outraged, your mother excited, of course she would be, and your brothers all fit to be tied over the fact you had produced an heir with that thing." She had spoken of Jenny as a thing.

Edith continued with her vicious description and then she gave birth and your son died, she was inconsolable, she cried and wept and wailed until she was silent and then she went away, took your daughter with her and she is now out there and I hope for her sake she is happy and you never get to see your child ever Quentin." By this time she had arrived where he stood in front of the fireplace. He had been so angry he had grabbed that long slender neck and began to squeeze and she laughed at him. That is when he had thrown her away from him. Storming from the house he had sworn off Edith from that moment on.

Lying there he closed his eyes hoping that by doing so he could erase those images and that memories from his mind. "Oh Daphne, I am no good for you either. I cannot help my feelings." Throwing the blankets from his body he turned in his bed, planted his feet on the floor, grabbing his robe he pulled it on and then walked to the door. Walking down the hallway he noticed how oppressively quiet the house was at this hour.

Daphne's bedroom

Daphne rolled over on her bed, she hugged her pillows then hit it with her fists, she could not stop thinking about that kiss earlier when Quentin had grabbed her and held her close to his body. Rolling back over on her other side she moaned inwardly and exhaled with exasperation outwardly. Closing her eyes she buried her fist in her eyes and rubbed them. She kept seeing him standing there watching her dissecting her with each glance, then that dance and the kiss. She had wanted to slap that smile from his face but something in her recognized the soft sincerity of his words and his actions. That is what made her nearly capitulate to his soft words of love and ministrations of love.

Those memories frustrated her and she rolled back on her back and was watching a point on the canopy of her bed. The man was reprehensible; here he was trying to make love to her with his wife laying dead in the library. She was so foolish to have given in for a moment to his sweet words and soft touch. She had been breathless while dancing with him and a part of her wanted him to take her and make love to her, to whisper words of love and need to her. Sitting up she buried her face in her hands. "No!" She gasped out and stood sliding from the bed, she slid her slippers on and her housecoat. Dragging it on she walked to her door and headed towards the drawing room.

Sitting on the fireside bench she turned sideways to watch the fire when she heard something, turning she watched Quentin walk towards the library, Standing she followed him waiting for him to enter the library. Sliding into the room and pressing against the wall she stood and watched Quentin approach the casket. "Oh Jenny, I would ask you to forgive me. But I don't deserve it. I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I was for this and for even marrying you. I wished I could say I loved you and I guess in my way I loved you, I can tell you what I loved about you. Your laughter filled my life with joy, your gentle touch was something that would calm my moments of anger with my family, the way you sang to make me smile when I was mad. I can go on about all the qualities that were uniquely you." He gently stroked her cold cheek, running his fingers into her hair.

"If I could take it back, I would, I would have run far away from you so you would not be here like this now. This rips my heart out to see you like this Jenny, I would give anything to see you dancing and singing and laughing once again. I am sorry Jenny, so sorry for all this pain and anguish I have brought down on you. If I could trade places with you, I would. Just know that I will always hold a part of you in my heart my dearest Jenny." He bent and lightly kissed her lips and then her forehead. Rising he looked down at her. "I want you to know I will never give up looking for our child. I will find her and bring her home. I will see she is wrapped in the arms of love. See I have found someone that means more to me than my own life and with her, I know our child will find love and be accepted. Rest my sweet Jenny, rest and find a way to forgive me."

Daphne was struck to the very center of her world. She knew where his child was and she assumed he was talking about her being the lady he had fallen in love. Stepping quickly around the door, she hurried away from the library, she should never had witnessed that sweet goodbye from Quentin to his beloved Jenny. She had been the interloper. She felt her throat choke with her emotions and the tears were burning her eyes and threatening to roll down her cheeks. She could not let him see her downstairs. She darted towards the stairs when she heard his voice. "Daphne?" His voice arrested her rush up the stairs and she stopped, squared her shoulder, turned and looked down at the man that now filled her heart.

"Yes?" she spoke barely above a whisper. She had tucked her chin and stood frozen on the stairs halfway from the upstairs landing to the foyer.

"Why are you up?" He had stepped more fully around to peer up and at her and then realized she must have followed him to the library. He was curious to see if she would say she had overheard his confession to Jenny.

"I could not sleep so I went to the drawing room and then I saw you going to the library and . . . " He watched the tears flow down her cheeks.

"You heard my confession to Jenny?" He watched her shift her chin up and then down and her shoulder rise and fall with a deeply held sigh.

"I am sorry I did not mean to pry and when I realized what you were doing I wanted to leave. I thought I would interrupt you and you needed that moment with her, she needed to know how much you cared and that you were sorry." She was so sweet in her embarrassment and her apology that she did not realize he had joined her on the stairs and was putting his arms around her and drawing her close to him.

"If anyone in this house had to hear my confession, I would have rather have it be you. I think you were the only one that would have understood. Daphne you are my reason for what is happening to me. It is you Daphne; do you not realize that I have gone through a metamorphosis? Jenny's death changed me. It was her death that made me realize that life is too short and that you have to live and love and be with the one you love. You are the one I love. I do not want any other woman in my life but you. You are the one and only reason I want to stay here and better my life and my position in this family." He had looked deep into her eyes and for the first time in his life he saw something there that he had never seen in any other woman's eyes before. He had seen his future with her and their life together would be glorious.

From the doorway to the family's private quarters Edith stood with the door cracked watching the two on the stairs and her heart burned with anger and jealously. Quietly, she turned and closed that door and folded her arms over her chest. She would not allow him his happiness with Daphne and she would make sure they would never be together even if it meant she had to kill Daphne to get her out of his life. Walking off to her room she was going to see to the end of this relationship before it started and she would make sure that Quentin Collins was miserable for the rest of his life.

Eagle's Nest Inn

Petofi and Gerard sat at a table over a tankard of second-rate ale. "Not as good as Collinwood but for the purpose of this meeting close enough." Andréas set his mug down and hunkered over his drink with his arms folded on the table. He glanced up at the handsome man who sat across from him. He was already planning on his next move when he overheard a couple sitting next to them. Gerard and Petofi leaned in closer appearing to be discussing something while they both listened to the two.

Gerard saw studied her she was a very beautiful blond with striking good eyes and a laughter that could run the spine. Her companion was a young man with sandy brown hair and intense blue eyes watching the blond with a hint of resentment and appeared to totally disinterested in the lovely woman who sat next to him. "Peter you said you felt he had been released, you surely do not believe anyone in this family would release the one thing from its prison to reign terror and a blood bath down on them now do you?"

"Angelique I am telling you he is out, he is moving about and I would know it damnit, I made him. All we need to do is go and look for ourselves if the grave has not been desecrated then I will agree with you and I will leave with you and do as you say. If it has been then you will leave me to my own devices and my own revenge." Both turned to the change of pressure in the room and looked up to see another man enter the room. The blond smiled and waved him over, "Evan so nice to see you here, come join us and let me tell you an interesting observation my dearest Peter has made."

Evan was a dapper dressed man with a neat little goatee and mustache. He was a handsome man of some small stature. He strode to the table with such confidence and decorum that Petofi was sure he was a member of the dark arts. "Did she call him Evan?" Petofi spoke softly and Gerard watching the three nodded. "I wonder if that is Evan Handley? The one and the same Evan Handley that Quentin spoke of to me some time ago. If it is he, then we may have some help in gaining what we both want."

Gerard smiled and leaned into the table. "And that would be my dear Andréas? Gerard was curious if he truly knew what Gerard coveted and wanted the most in this life.

"Why the delectable Victoria Winters Collins and the fortune that goes with the entitlements of being a Collins." Andréas recognized the glint in his eyes and the way his gaze traveled over the delightful Mrs. Collins when they had met in the woods. He had the same lustful need and wants he had recognized in Henri when he first met Victoria's mother a few years ago.

"Tell me Andréas you say you knew Victoria's mother how well did you know her? What can you tell me about her and how is it possible that you knew her mother were you very young when you met?" Gerard looked at the relatively middle aged man before him, they were talking well over forty-five years ago, perhaps he was a friend of Daniels during that time.

Andréas chuckled, "Why yes I was somewhat a young man, when I witnessed the tragedy that befell this house. I had come with my Uncle Henri, and we stayed at Collinwood. It was odd the way Miss Winters appeared on the doorsteps of the old house. She had claimed to have no memory of how she ended up on North fork road and was nearly run down by a coach.

"Was she as striking as her daughter?" He held Gerard's attention fully.

"Oh they could easily be twins. That is why I thought she was Victoria Winters that I knew. Imagine my surprise to hear a woman that made claims to be from the future had moved to England and married well, then arranged to have her daughter marry the very man that she had lived with in the old Collinwood. Do you not find that this is very odd?"

Gerard thought a moment and then shook his head. "Not really, did her mother have affection for the father of Barnabas Collins the first?" Gerard wanted the whole story behind the woman that had become an obsession for him. He had never heard the complete story of the Great grandparents for Quentin. This was something that had niggled at him in the back of his mind and had wondered what had shaped and formed Daniel to be the man he had become.

"It was all very sad, first there was a very nasty man by the name of Trask . . . "

Gerard lifted his head. "Related to the Trasks that own that private school? Let me think oh yes is his name not Lamar?"

"I believe it was his father, this Trask was a witch hunter and he had sought out the family Governess Miss Wycke and had her arrested and he had set his attention on Victoria. Then odd things began to happen, strange attacks by wild animals. Then my Uncle Henri challenged Trask to a duel claiming he had insulted his future wife, which was Miss Winters. She had not agreed to be his wife, and he was relentlessly pursuing her. That is when Trask was killed on a field of honor. Shortly after that the first to die was Sarah Collins, although at the time, we thought it had been Barnabas, Joshua had found him dead in his room and then his body disappeared. As it would happen so much was going on that it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep the events in proper order."

Gerard was finding this a bit convoluted but wanted to know the full story. "Do go on this is fascinating."

"Well Sarah and Daniel got sick, Josette was attacked in her room and Miss Wycke was arrest4ed for witchcraft testing. Later it was discovered that Barnabas was alive. Then the night that Josette threw herself from widows hill, little Sarah had died and Miss Winters disappeared. We all thought she had gone off with Barnabas."

"Did you not say she claimed she was from the future when did this occur?" Gerard was fascinat4ed by that claim. "And where in the future did she say she had come?"

Petofi chuckled, "Oh from the 20th century the year 1967." He laughed outright at the thought.

Gerard laughed with him. Dropping his head and his voice he shook it and said over again, "You said 1967. Obviously, everyone thought the woman was mad as a hatter?"

"Yes, but she did disappear. I thought never to be seen again until the other day in the woods when to my surprise a woman that looked exactly like Victoria Winters was there in front of me."

"Well you have an explanation she is the daughter of the woman that you knew. Now she is here and her mother is in England. Obviously her claims of being from the future were just a fantasy on her part if she moved to England and began another life there."

"Obviously, but one has to wonder what did happen and how did she get to England, Henri was ready to move on but he did manage to catch the attention of Millicent Collins and take her back with him and began his own family with Millicent."

The party next to them had grown so quiet and seemed to be in their own little world. They had huddled together when the young man that looked somewhat familiar to Andréas stood abruptly. "I will get the carriage and we can go see for ourselves and then if I am right you Angelique shall never bother me again!" He marched from the room in a pique of anger.

Petofi smiled and studied the family break down and looked back to Gerard, "Family fight?"

"Appears to be so, guess it is their problems to settle, we have our own little plans to make and you were going to tell me how I could get what I wanted."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Old House pre dawn

Victoria rolled into the body that cradled her. Snuggling up close she spoke his name in a whispered hush. “Barnabas, I love you with all my heart and I want to be your wife, your pure wife on our wedding night.” She had kept her eyes closed and cuddled up against the warm body that held her close. 

The voice that spoke caused her to stiffen in the hold of the man that held her and the voice was one that brought fear to her heart. “My what a sweet dream you must be having, you want to be pure on your wedding night? I thought you were already married my dear.” Her eyes flew open and she stared with shock and anger into the eyes of the man she had been sent to kill. “Or am I to surmise you are not married to the Junior Barnabas Collins?” 

Using that superhuman strength, she shoved against the man that held tightly to her. Pinning her against him in her bed. A part of her had grown angry wondering how he had managed to get past the gypsies and Barnabas. Then it struck her and her mind racing to what he might have done to Barnabas. Until she saw the pinkish rays of the morning sunlight filter through her window and lay its warming touch on the floor. Then she knew watching him land on his jelly bottom on her floor. “What pray tell are you doing in my bedroom and my bed?” She slide out of the bed to drag her blanket around her body.

He chuckled dust himself off and stood to face her. “I knocked but apparently your relatives are busy buying their dead, so I let myself in and began to search for someone. Now could you blame me for seeing how sweetly you looked lying there unattended by your devoted husband, which by the way where is he?” Petofi began to pace the room, watching her reaction to all he had said. 

“Obviously, I thought he was here, sharing my bed with me where he belongs and you do not.” She was more than indignant she was angry and she was about to show him how angry if he made another move towards her. She listened to that unpleasant sounding chortle as he continued to pace back and forth. “If you will kindly leave my room, I shall meet you downstairs. It is not proper for a man that is not the woman’s husband to be in her bedchambers.”

Petofi mockingly bowed, started to the door and waited for her to drop her defenses, passing her he reached for her wrist. Vicki surprised him by breaking his hold, and slamming him back against the wall. Her own eyes burned with a glint of blue and her own inner fire. Her voice dropped. “Do not ever think to touch me again Andréas you court death to do so.” Her words were said with precise care and with a softness that caught his attention with interest and fear. 

“What are you?” he whispered back.

“Your worse nightmare. Now . . . leave . . . my . . bedroom!” She jerked him back with one hand and opened the door and shoved him through the door sending him flying across the hallway to smack into the wall and slump to the floor with her slamming the door shut and locking it. 

Petofi laughed and watched the door, slowly he edged his way up the wall. Stepping forward to straighten his jacket and bowed to the door and walked down the hallway to the stairs. Pausing he called back. “I await your pleasure in the drawing room my dear. I will not be going anywhere until we talk.” He sauntered down the stairs to take up position in the drawing room. Looking around the room he began to pry. Walking around the room to open the drawers on the secretary. “Satisfying your curiosity Andreas?” Vicki asked stepping into the drawing room wearing a day dress on pale blue. 

He spun around and smiled. “I am disappointed I rather enjoyed seeing you as you were earlier a little indelicate. I like all my women submissive and pliable although today you gave me pause for thought about how wonderful it would be to find one with a will strong enough to see how long it would take to break her down.” He was being obnoxious and Vicki was not in the mood for obnoxious. 

With her eyes flashing, her color high, she raised her hands to lock them on her hops. “What do you want.” She snapped and waited for him to state his business so she could throw him the hell out of her house. She kept enough distance between them to not allow him an opportunity to get close enough to put hands on her. Petofi turned, locked his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels to the balls of his feet. 

“What do I want?” He rocked back, “What do I want?” He rocked forward, “What do I want Mrs. Collins is the truth. Are you here to full fill what your mother was sent to do? That might be good for a start, the second thing I want is information for information.” He watched her look perplexed. “Ahh I see I have your attention. What if I were to tell you there were three people at the Eagle’s Nest looking to see if your husband was back in town or not.” 

That was enough to make her relax now she had to deal with Angelique, Peter, and she was not sure who the third person was but if she saw them she might recognize them. She tilted her head and continued to hold her stance watching him nonchalantly rock back and forth and then tire of his childish action and just stand waiting for her to respond. “Ask and if I am inclined to answer I will.” 

He sighed dramatically, did an expressive heave of his shoulders and opened his arms in an evocative pose. “Was your mother from the future as she stated that night on the hill and how did she travel back in time if she was from the future? How is that possible unless she was a witch?” He once again then locked his arms behind his back and tilted his head waiting fof her to respond.

Vicki smiled. “My mother was from the future, she was thrown back in time during a séance. She was no witch and she wanted desperately to get back to her time if for nothing more convince sake, things according to her are a lot easier and sanitary in the future.” She stepped to the bookcases that lead to the secret room where she knew Barnabas rested. “As for being sent to kill you, no. I was not sent to kill you. I am married to Barnabas and I am very happily connected to him and will be for the rest of my life.” She pressed against the bookshelf and watched him while he studied her. 

She had plenty of experience and time to school her features and to glibly brush off what her true mission was. Somehow she did not think that she would have to kill him, just keep Quentin from giving his hand back to him. So for her it was not a lie, it was her reality for the moment. “Now describe these people that came looking for my husband and are they staying at the Eagles Nest?” 

Eagle Nest Collinsport

The carriage drew up in front of what would someday become the Collinsport Inn. Vicki waited for the livery to lower the foot rest and help her off the carriage to deftly set her on the wood planks that represented the sidewalk. Walking into the inn she paused and looked around the room. The day clerk seeing Victoria walked quickly to her side. “Madam?” He smiled and if time had permitted he would have licked his fingertips and smoothed his hair down. 

Vicki smiled her most charming smile. “Yes, my name is Victoria Collins and I was wondering if you have guests staying here a very pretty blond lady with a distinctive laugh and a gentleman about this tall . . . “ She measured his height with raising her hand to the height that Peter would have been. “And another Gentleman that would be what was described as a dapper dresser?” The clerk beamed he had a Collins, one he had not met but a Collins nonetheless in his inn.

“Why yes we do.” He walked back to his desk and pulled the register up. “A Mr. and Mrs. Bradford and her brother Nicholas. . . ‘ Before he could say the last name Vicki sighed and looked down and said his name softly.

“Blair.” She had made it more a statement than a question but the clerk was so excited to have a distinguished guest visiting his inn, he could get some bragging out of this for the next week. He beamed and nodded.

“Do you know them?” He stepped around the desk and walked back to her.

“Yes, I do. Thank you, Mr . . . “ She smiled waiting for him to answer her inquiry. 

“Braithwaite, Homer Braithwaite as your service Mrs. Collins. So which Collins did you marry?” He knew he must sound like such a buffoon but he was excited to have a Collins gracing his inn. 

She smiled offered her gloved hand. “A pleasure Mr. Braithwaite, well I am Victoria Collins married to Barnabas Collins from England, we have taken up residence in the Old House on the Estate. You could be very helpful if you could tell me where I might be able to hire some help that could come to help at the house during the day to past supper?” She followed him as he led her to the inn’s common room area and pulled out a chair for her to sit.

“I can tell you right now that by word of mouth we could easily find you several young ladies that would love to come and work for a Collins. I just need to put the word out and you will have young ladies coming to be interviewed.” 

Vicki smiled, nodded and asked. “Could you do that today while I am in town? I noticed earlier that there is a thunderhead building over the Pacific and well it would speed up things and keep them from having to traverse the road in treacherous weather conditions.” She encouraged him with her hint to do the interview in his inn. “I would be happy to rent a room to do the interview if that would not inconvenience you?” 

Homer almost groveled. “Oh no think nothing of it, let me find my runner and we will send him out to the houses that I know for sure that have young ladies needing work. Their families could use the extra income. You can sit right here in this room and we will allow them to come in and meet with you.”

Vicki smiled, “Why not have your runner take my carriage and bring them here. That would speed up the process correct?” She took her gloves off and then untied her hat and laid it on the table and sat primly back straight and eyes shining with a hint of appreciation for his help. She watched him go to the desk and write out a list handed it over to the boy and sent him on his way with Vickie’s carriage. 

Vicki did not have long to wait; she could hear the rumble of her carriage as it lumbered up to the front of the inn. Sitting she waited while Homer playing a major domo began to announce each young lady’s name and escort her to Vicki. It took Vicki two hours to interview and hire six young girls ranging in the age of fourteen to eighteen years of age. To secure them as help she made arrangements for them to arrive at the old house by six am and to be escorted home by nine p.n. She paid them each a month’s wages and sent them on their way. The whole time she was conducting her business she kept hoping she would see Angelique or Nicholas. She knew Peter would be in a coffin somewhere. 

With the hiring of Betsy, the last of her housemaids, she stood pulled on her gloves, picked up her hat and walked to the front entrance of the inn. Homer was busy talking to three strapping young boys whose eyes lit up seeing Vicki exit the room. “Mrs. Collins would you be needin’ some boys for help too?” Vicki studied the strong looking young men and smiled. 

“I would be delighted to hire the three of you under the same wages as the girls I hired, you will be required to come to the house by six a.m. and would be released by nine p.m. unless we are entertaining then I will provide you with a place to sleep for the night and meals. Of course your meals are included in the offer while you are working. Would you be interested in that?’ She studied the tallest of the boys who smiled brightly. 

“Yes ma’am sure would what you require, choppin’ wood? Moving furniture, I got the muscles for it.” He bent his elbow and popped up a nice strong looking muscle. The boy next to him did not wish to be outdone so he stepped forward and he reminded Vicki of David. 

“I got some strong muscles too.” He bent his elbow but his arm was rather thin and Vicki’s heart went out to him for being so painfully thin and looking under nourished. 

Vicki nodded. “Then you all three are hired and I will expect you to show up for work tomorrow.” She fished into her reticule and pulled out a month’s wages for each boy and handed it over to them. “Leave your names with Mr. Braithwaite and I shall see you all tomorrow.” She heard them whop in excitement pocketing their wages and rushing out the door. Vicki turned surprised to Mr. Braithwaite. “They did not leave their names?”

Braithwaite held up his hand. “Didn’t need too. I know them all the big un was me own boy Oscar, the wee one is his cousin Timothy, and the other boy that was quiet was his brother Alexander.” Vicki smiled.

“Thank you for your help Mr. Braithwaite. Here, please accept this as payment and a debt of gratitude for all your help. She started to turn and lave when Nicholas Blair entered the inn and came up short, the look of utter surprise on his face.

“Miss Winters?” He gasped stepping towards her. His slowly smarmy smile spreading across his lips eyeing her up and down and now delighted he had something to torment Angelique with. 

“That would have been my mother Mr. Blair, yes, I know all about you, Angelique, and Peter Bradford, when I married Barnabas she told me everything and then some. I am going to warn you all, do not hope to come here and create problems for us. You will find I am not like my mother was when she met you, naïve and uninformed. You might be surprised that I have my own teeth and I do bite.” She shoved past him none too gently and he felt the power in her shove and stepped back and around to watch her departure. 

Nicholas chuckled and he was truly amused, “I like her spunk unlike her mother who was a shy and retreating little thing that was afraid of her own shadow.” Looking at Braithwaite he asked, “Which Collins did she marry? Did she say Barnabas?” Nicholas stepped to Homer’s side and watched him nod. Nicholas knew of only one Barnabas Collins and he was secure in a coffin that appeared to still be sealed. “Did she say where they were residing?”

Homer always wanting to boast smiled, “Why said they had taken up resident in the old house and she just hired some servants to help her out there. Did you know her mother? You all must have been very young when you met.” Homer was fishing for some juicy gossip and if it was on a Collins how much better could that be than to have something to brag about in town? Nicholas watched her get in the carriage and drive away, as the carriage pulled away, Angelique walked down the stairs to the common room. 

“Nicholas did I hear you speaking with someone?” She tried to hide a bored yawn but was not that successful and excused her ill manners while she wait for Nicholas to respond to her question. 

Nicholas leaned against the counter, “My dear what I am about to tell you. . . “He smiled looking around at the room and not Angelique he planned to see her reaction once he was about to impart his news. He turned his head and pinned her with those dark eyes, “I was talking to Mrs. Collins, Mrs. Barnabas Collins and she says she is the daughter of Victoria Winters.” 

Angelique’s first reaction was disbelief. “That is impossible.” She hissed then leaned into Nicholas. “You and Peter went to the old Mausoleum, his coffin was still sealed was it not?” 

Nicholas dis a slow nod, “Yes, it was still chained shut and no sign of life from inside. However, the lady has quiet plainly said we had better not mettle with her family or she might bite us. I really think she meant it.” He looked at the tips of his nicely tailored leather gloves, the hat he wore a top one sat on his head at a jaunty angle. 

Angelique was livid. “Really what does she think she can do against the likes of the both of us?” 

Nicholas chuckled, “Might have to test her to see what she has to offer and if she can defend against us.” 

Later Old House sunset

Vicki was waiting for Barnabas to rise, she paced the drawing room when she felt more than saw something that was cold, and felt like death. She paused pivoted on her feet and looked with curiosity at the tall impervious man that stood in the opening of the drawing room, his piercing dark eyes bore a hole into her and his mesmerizing gaze froze her momentarily. “My dearest one, come to your Great grandfather and give him a hug, you will need me before this night is over and before that time comes, I want to empower you with my hold.” She did not understand why she walked towards him to stand in front of him. He placed his hands on her tiny shoulders. 

Vicki’s memories long repressed from another life time

“Look into my eyes and see what awaits you Victoria grand daughter of Julianka Romano. Look and see how you can avoid the powers of those that pledge their souls to the darkness that is Diablos.” Vicki lifted her chin and stared him in the eyes and she was transported to a time long forgotten and in the past to a castle high upon a mountain in the Carpathian Mountains. There she saw another like the Julianka that lived there she was standing before a vat that held what appeared to be a bath of blood. The man that now held Vicki by her shoulders stood behind this Julianka. Sliding her white gown off her body, he lifted her and placed her in the vat submersing her body in the viscous red fluid. “Blood is the life and you are the life of blood, be baptized to the way of living my child, be my lover this night and I shall give you the powers that will always protect you from the darkness of others.” 

Vicki gasped shook her head and looked into the eyes of the man that just gave her that vision. “Tonight my darling child, two who are darkness personified by their master will test you. Draw upon what was bestowed on you when you first arrived, and wear this to protect you from darkness that would try to destroy you. The third that comes will come for vengeance; you are stronger and faster than he. You will know instinctively what to do when the time comes and do not loose this . . . “ He removed a ring from his pinky finger and slid it on her right hand. “Never take it off do you understand?” She looked down at the black onyx ring with a family crest of a Dragon in the center emblazoned in red. 

Vlad looked around the room saw the bookcase was beginning to open he smiled, bent and placed a cold chaste kiss on her cheek stepped back and turned to mist disappearing into the gathering dusk and now encroaching fog. “Victoria?” She felt Barnabas behind her and she turned into his hold and laid her cheek against his chest. 

“Yes, my love I am here.” She held onto him tightly and whispered. “Oh Barnabas, they have come to cause us trouble. But you are not to worry, I will handle them.” She was babbling but she was feeling empowered. “I won’t let them harm us or our love.” She held tightly to him, which was causing him some concern if not alarm. 

“Victoria whom are you speaking?” He pushed her back and peered down into her eyes and was struck by a minor change that was now reflected in her gaze. He studied her intently afraid that something had changed her from the sweet endearing soul he had come to love. “Victoria, are you all right?” He shook her slightly watching her head wobble then her eyes closed and she shook her head and collapsed against him. 

Barnabas swept her up in his arms. Carrying her to the settee, he gently placed her there when he heard a heavy knocking at the door. Turning he called out “Sandor? Magda?” There was no response. Patting Vicki’s cheek he watched her eyes flutter open and she smiled.

“They have arrived, open the door Barnabas and invite them in, I am ready.” She has spoken so softly had he not had his superhuman hearing he might not have heard those words. The knocking at the door persisted. Feeling aggravated that their help was no where to be found he stood up, turned and walked with force to the door to throw it open and demand.

“What do you want!” The looks on Nicholas’, Angelique’s and Peters’ faces were worth the anger Barnabas had been holding back and now was ready to let it tumble forth. “YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” He stepped from the door and walked into the drawing room to take up a protective stance in front of Vicki. However; Vicki was not about to let him hide her, she stepped around Barnabas and glared at the visitors.

Angelique was the first to step forward with a knowing and superior look at the pathetic female in front of her. “So it is true you are out of your coffin and this is suppose to be Victoria’s daughter? I think not, I think it is Victoria time jumping.” 

“And if I am, what are you going to do about it!” Angelique had never faced such open defiance as she was witnessing now in this little upstart. Angelique rippled off that sick triumphant laughter that echoed about the room. 

“Oh little one you do not want to test me or my brother Nicholas, I do hope you have something to back up your admirable but very badly thought out bravado.” Vicki keeping her body in front of Barnabas narrowed her eyes and spoke one word. “Silence.” Angelique tried to speak and found she no longer had a voice, her eyes widened and she turned with a harrumph in her exasperation to Nicholas.

Nicholas was considering what to do when Vicki looked at him and spoke two words. “ Paralyze and Silence.” She titled her head and watched him now unable to speak or move. Both of them shot glances of incredulousness back and forth to each other and that left Bradford. “No Peter you do not want to test me, or I will call down the Holy Cross on you.”

“You would not dare with Barnabas in the room.” He smiled and she could see his teeth glistening behind his lips he was assessing her and preparing to strike. 

“Really?” Lifting her finger she spoke, “Paralyze and Holy Cross.” She turned and shoved Barnabas from behind and sent him flying back through the louvered doors to the dinning room, to spin back around in a flash of an eye to hear Peter scream out in pain. She stood seeing him frozen in place with an image of a holy cross suspended in front of him.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Old house drawing room

“Send it away! It is burning me send it away!” Peter groveled and cried out in pain. Angelique still able to move reached forward to grab Victoria’s arm and found the strength in Victoria’s grasp was far fiercer than the mere words she had just uttered and brought down on her earlier. Victoria narrowed her eyes lifted her other hand up and in a blink of an eye, held Angelique by the throat against the wall. Peter and Nicholas had witnessed the action and were both stunned. She obviously had the strength and the power of a vampire but not the curse of avoiding daylight. 

“Now this is how this is going to play out. You all three are going to leave this house and never come here again, you will no longer be welcome in Collinsport. If you ever show your faces around here again, I will not hesitate to end all your lives. I will not feel guilty or sadden by your passing and I certainly will not mourn the loss of any pretended friendship.” Her words had been said with precise cold deliberation that they all were stunned by her actions and her manner. “I protect what and whom I call family. From this day forward the House of the Dracul will hold protection over this house and Collinwood. Do you understand?” She turned while she held Angelique by the throat to Nicholas who at that moment saw the ring she wore on her hand. He actually paled and thought he was paralyzed by her spell he blinked successively to show her he did understand.

“Release.” She spoke softly releasing them all from the spell to watch Peter Bradford collapse upon the floor in pain and grovel at her feet. Nicholas regaining his movement and voice spoke softly.

“How is it that the House of Dracul can hold dominion over this house or Collinwood?” He looked at the bulging eyes of Angelique and spoke softly “Please release her from your hold Miss Winters.” He was sincerely afraid and was not sure how or what she was capable of but one thing was for sure she had powers that obviously were very strong. He watched Vicki release her hold on Angelique’s neck and watched Angelique when released slide down to the floor. Vicki stepped over her body and went to Peter.

“You will go now. Do not let me see you around here again, if you so much as show your face around me, I will drive that holy cross right into your chest.” She narrowed her gaze and waited for him to respond.

He glared at her his teeth bared and she smiled, Her eyes then flicked to a pierce bluish tint to a reddish tint and he saw her as a day walker but not a day walker with the thirst for blood. “What are you?” He whispered and she smiled and it was not a pleasant smile. It was a smile that held a hint of cruelty and she was no long the little timid mouse he had met those years ago. “What happened to you.”

She spoke softly, “You, happened to me, you who destroyed his first chance at happiness in the future, your meddling is what happened to me and then I discovered I am related to Count Vlad Tepes, Dracula known by you and he protects the people of whom I am half and now their protector.” When she spoke she looked from Peter to Nicholas, “You are a bane on this country ad its peace, you and that woman will take this abomination and leave, if I see you around here again, I will make you all regret knowing me and mine.” She smiled a tight smile and stepped away from Peter who made the fatally wrong mistake of reaching forward to grab her wrist. He found his body thrust backwards and pinned to the wall. “Do not ever touch me again.” She hissed into his startled looking face. 

Releasing him, she walked to the drawing room and folded her hands primly and neatly in front of her. “Are you going to do as I said?” She looked from Nicholas to Angelique who had grown sullen and silent and glared at her then to Peter who was rubbing his throat. “I assure you the woman you thought you knew when you brought down this curse on Barnabas no longer exists. I am the newer stronger version of that woman and I have the power to end you all right now.” She walked to the center of the room and stood in her self righteous pose and spoke softly, “By the right of the wiccan, by the right of the righteous, I ban you from setting foot on the property or allowing any spells to be cast by any of you to any and all who share the Collins name and blood.” She waves her hands in front of her and they all three disappeared to reappear at the Eagles Nest Inn. 

Eagle’s Nest Inn

All three appeared suddenly in the room to th astonishment of some of the guests that had settled down for the evening with a bowl of soup and some corn bread. The words ‘Witch and witchcraft’ could be heard whispered through out the room and many crossed themselves. Angelique looked shocked and Nicholas dumbfounded. Angelique turned and gasped to Nicholas “How could she do that to us?” She realized what had happened and what a spectacle they must have made appearing as they did and she walked to the stairs towards their rooms. Nicholas was shaken and Peter could smell the fear in him. 

“Upstairs and with what she just did, we best be prepared to leave town.” Peter rasped following Angelique up the stairs. Nicholas laughed uncomfortably bowed to those in the common room and rushed up the stairs like a scalded cat. Reaching the rooms they shared he burst through the door and began to pack his bag. He studied Angelique’s stiff back standing in front of the window. Peter watched Nicholas packing, “What are you doing Blair? Surely, you are not going to leave without a fight?” 

Peter smirked watching the man that was normally so confident and in control and now he appeared to be out of control. “If you all were smart you would be packing your bags too and back away from this for now. There is always tomorrow or next year, for now we are out numbered and we are out powered.” Nicholas snapped his carpetbag shut and lifted it from the bed. 

Angelique spun around and glared at him, “Why? What is so special about her now? How did she get those powers? Who is her master?” Angelique began to furiously pace back and forth, she was growing angrier with every step she took. “How is this possible? How did she get those powers.”

Peter shivered, “She has my powers in strength and speed. Her eyes glinted with the hint of the undead but she is more alive than any of us in this room.” He slumped down on the end of the bed. He hated Angelique but she still controlled him, Nicholas was just a necessary evil he tolerated for Angelique. “There were rumors of an undead that could walk in the daylight and resist the sun’s death, they were called daywalker but they still needed blood of the living and they were only partially alive. She is not a daywalker but has the powers of the daywalker. I do not understand it, or this, how was she able to do all that?” 

Nicholas frowned, “Were either of you not paying attention earlier? She bares the insignia of the House of Dracul. It was on the ring she wore. She is tied to Vlad Tepes and he must be in town and had contact with her.” A banging on their door gave them all pause when the voice of the bailiff called out.

“OPEN UP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!” Angelique dropped her chin and glared at Nicholas while Peter slowly began to shift to mist. 

“Meet us in Portland Peter. Nicholas no time for luggage now, we can get clothing later, come we must be out of here before they break down the door and take us for trial for witchcraft.” Nicholas took Angelique’s hand and together they disappeared from the room. They disappeared just as the door was breached and Reverend Trask and the Bailiff entered the room. 

Bailiff Harmon looked around the room. “I thought I heard them in here.” Trask picked up the carpetbag packed on the bed and he frowned deeply. Pacing around the room he searched the area and saw the window was still locked and there was no other sign other than a packed carpet bag on the bed to indicate they had even been in there.

“This wreaks of witchery, we will secure the room and await their return!” Trask stormed from the room taking up position outside the locked door. He was on the hunt now and he could smell a witch in the area. He would not be detoured from his mission and that was to save this town from he darkness of the devil!

Old House Drawing Room

Barnabas was struck by the power with which she had dispatched his nemesis. “How did you do that he was even a little afraid of this woman that now claimed to hold his heart in the future. She sighed and looked down her hands folded primly in front of her. 

“It is time you know everything about me Barnabas and I assure you I meant you no harm. I love you and you are my heart and we will be married in the future, but for now sit and allow me to explain everything you know part of it but not the whole of it and its time you did.” She watched him warily walk to a fireside chair and sit, it was ironic to her she was the one that had control this time and it was her turn to pace to the window and look out just as he had done so many times in the past. How he would when he wanted to collect his thoughts would use this position to watch the front law and then speak in that sad hopeless filled voice. It was her turn to peer down at her folded hands take a deep breath and then begin at the beginning.

“When I first came to Collinwood, I was a governess to David Collins the son of Roger Collins and the nephew to a woman named Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, who looks remarkably like your mother Naomi.” She turns and studied him while she felt he dissected her with his intent gaze. “We were friends in the beginning, and then we started towards something more deeper and well close to becoming lovers but I made myself a promise I would not take it to hat level unless I was married. I want my husband to have me as a virgin on our wedding night.” She saw the look of awe cross his face. But he held his tongue and waited for her to continue, he watched her turn from the window and pace to stand in front of him. “You were persistent and a very good friend but I was pledged to another before his untimely death in a airplane crash in the Andes. In my time we can travel by air.” She watched his eyes grow wide and then he settled and waited for her to continue.

“We were growing closer and closer and then David began to have issues with seeing what he perceived was a little girl that was suppose to be a ghost, her name was Sarah.” She watched him set forward and she nodded, “Yes, your little Sarah had come back to protect the family with Josette, so yes I have seen Josette and she protects Collins family members in the future, she feels guilty for what she did to Jeremiah and she also feels guilty about you too.” Vicki’s voice had taken on a softer tone and she was now studying her hands. “During a costume party here in this house which we called the old house, we were dressed in period clothing for your time we had a séance in and that was when I was thrust back to your time and met you, Jeremiah, and Josette. When I had completed what I needed and Ben brought me up from the basement to the drawing room here, I ran and I continued to run until I reached Collinwood and when I knocked on the door, I was back in my time. “

She turned and walked to the other chair and slumped down in the chair appearing to be exhausted, “You and I continued our relationship and we took it to another level you formally asked to court me and then you asked for my hand in marriage, a series of events happened and I believe it was you had been cured temporarily of your vampirism by a chemical means with Dr. Hoffman’s help. However, because of a series of misfortunes by a lot of complications from various individuals you found yourself back as you are now, until Julia’s husband Eric asked you to try a new technique of his. That was a life force transference taking your curse and putting it in a dead body to bring it to life. Your doing that would drain the curse from you and it would allow you to be human and free to marry me. Unfortunately, there were complications from that when Peter interrupted the transference and you were only partially cured.” She took a shaky breath and let it out slowly. Then she proceeded to tell him how she had over heard him saying he was going to end their engagement because he felt he would only be half a husband to her and that was something he did not want for her and how she had ran to the steps and fell down them breaking her neck. 

“NO! You sit beside me today how can you have died and then be here with me now?” He had stood and began to pace hearing such an outrageous tale. He looked down at her bent head and a part of him called out to take her in his arms and hold her and kiss her and make her fears and pain go away. He watched her slowly lift her chin and raise her eyes to lock them with his and then he saw it the ice blue chips that were a part of what he was flash into her eyes and diminish. How was his possible she walked in the day and she did not require blood as he did?

She sighed softly, “You and Quentin Collins gave up a part of your life force to bring me back to life. When I came back I was as I am now, but since arriving here I have gained these incredible powers and I know not from where they came I just know that the part of me that clings to the ways of the people, which is gypsy knows how to deal with the likes of Nicholas Blair a warlock and Angelique Bouchard a witch. I fear nothing from Peter because I am stronger than he.” Her voice had dropped and she was speaking so low that Barnabas had to tilt his head to hear what she had to say. “Tonight was the first time I had ever exerted those powers and know what to do. I know when I arrived here Julianka said she gave me her power and I would know what to do when the time came but I thought that was for dealing with Count Petofi. Which he was here in my bed earlier today wanting to know what I was doing here.” 

Hearing this Barnabas wanted to go and rend the man to pieces but maintained his anger and she could see his jaw locked and a small tick began to appear near his ear and jawbone’s joint. “Do not be upset my love I quickly sent him on his way he is a nuisance to me, I believe he had more to fear from the true guardian of the gypsies. I do believe he has come back to seek his own revenge and to reclaim what he feels is his.” She watched him knell before her and take her hand. 

“What is that?” He asked and his lovely soul searching eyes drilled into hers and held them with a passion of his own.

“He seeks his own revenge against Petofi my love.” She took her palm and cupped his cheek. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his dry cold ones and felt his own passion arise in his body. Scooping her into his arms breaking the kiss he smiled and spoke softly.

“I think our love is epic my dear a lasting one, you have the soul of a vampire in you and an immortal. So this Quentin is that Quentin you have come to prevent from returning Petofi’s hand?” He studied the intent look she returned to his gaze and her head shifted slightly in a nod.

“However, I think it goes deeper than that. Another is here that lives in my time and I don’t know how she got here but we are connected to one another.” She entwined her fingers with his and lifted his hand to kiss his fingers. “Until I figure out why and what I am doing here then I cannot go back to the future and to you.” He drew their fingers from her lips and he kissed her fingers.

“Then I am here to do whatever you need me to do.”

Gazebo of Collinwood

Joanna held onto Quentin crying softly into his shoulder, holding him tightly, he gently pressed her away from him and smiled into her lovely soaked eyes. “Thank you Quentin, you don’t know what this means to me.” She sniffed lightly and he gently brushed the tears from her eyes and smiled.

From the rose bushes Edith stood and watched. She was angry, she was jealous and she wanted Joanna dead along with that meddling sister of hers Daphne. Edith withdrew before she heard any more of the conversation. “I just need you to tell Edward I am not being unfaithful to him, I need him to know its him I wish to be with and to marry. That you are not the one that has me distracted he is my one and only and I don’t know how to please him.” 

Quentin drew her close again and spoke softly in her ear. “You leave Edward to me my dear, now dry those pretty eyes and you sit here for a while, compose yourself while I go find Edward.” He lifted her chin and kissed the end of her nose. “You will make him a wonderful wife some day soon I hope.” Seating her on the bench he bent and picked up the letter that had fluttered softly to the ground from her pocket. He glanced at the letter and frowned, she had just confessed she could not live without him, that he was her one and only love and if she could not be with him she would throw herself from widows hill. Quentin sighed softly and tucked the letter back in her skirt pocket. “You might want to rethink that.” He patted her arm and walked off leaving her alone in the gazebo. 

Edith watched him leave and waited then slowly inched her way to the gazebo where she found Joanna sitting and sniffing and trying to not cry. “Hello Joanna, would you like to take a walk, it might help you clear your thoughts and help you compose yourself.” Edith held a hard glint to her gaze watching the pretty woman that looked like the one that held her husband’s attention. Joanna unsuspecting poor sweet and trusting smiled bravely and nodded.

Widows Hill

“I would like that Edith.” Edith watched her stand then hooked an arm through her arm and began to lead her to widows hill, the air around them had grown colder and the sun was just beginning to set when they reached the summit. Both women stood in silence; Beth took a step back and spoke softly. 

“Joanna, you cannot have him! He belongs to me. You will never be with him!” Edith stepped forward and shoved Joanna and smiled haring her scream as she fell backwards off the cliff to land in the icy cold waters and on the rocks below. Walking forward she sighed and titled her head. “Now what to do about your nosey sister.” Turning she calmly left widows hill and walked towards Collinwood, if only it was that easy to take care of her obnoxious womanizing husband. If she could kill him, she would be free to marry Quentin. She was more determined than ever to make sure he would be with her and her only. 

Entering the hallway she paused hearing Quentin with Edward in the drawing room, “So Edward I assure you there is nothing between Joanna and myself, she was so distraught at the thought of loosing you she was prepared to end her own life. That my dear brother is devotion from a woman that professes to wish to be your wife.” 

Beth’s eyes widen and then she slumped against the table, ‘Joanna did not want Quentin?’ She thought and was shocked that she had possibly killed the wrong sister. Turning she walked quickly up the stairs headed to her bedroom, she certainly did not wish to be down there when they found the body on the beach. If she were lucky she was sure the tide might carry her body out to sea, just as she opened the door to the main living quarters upstairs, Tad hit the front door screaming in shear terror.

‘THERE IS A DEAD BODY AT THE BOTTOM OF WIDOWS HILL!” Quentin and Edward rushed to Tad. Quentin reached forward and grabbed Tad, holding his trembling body and demanding.

“Who is it Tad did you recognize him?” Quentin could see the terror written on the boys face. He was white and shaking with the sight he had just beheld.

“I . . . I . . . think it is a woman and it may be Joanna!” He exclaimed and buried his face in Quentin’s chest. He began to sob. Quentin’s eyed widen and he looked at Edward who was rushing from the doors to head to Widows Hill, Quentin turned and began to call out for the servants!

“Jacob! Isaiah! Come with me to widows hill! Bring a blanket and hurry!” Quentin set Tad on the bottom step and spoke softly, “You wait here and tell one of the servants to fetch Judith, mother is still caring for father and we do not wish either of them to be upset. Understand?” He cupped his cheek then folded his fingers to gently stroke his cheek. He watched the pale boy nod and he looked like he was still in shock seeing a dead body on the beach, Quentin just prayed it was not Joanna it would kill Daphne to loose her sister.” Looking up to see Greta he motioned her to Tad. ”Take him to Judith he will explain to Judith what has happened and someone needs to find Daphne   
and keep her in the w room until I return is that understood?” 

Greta nodded looking confused but he was he master of the house’s son so she had to obey his request, “Come Thaddeus, we will find Miss Judith.” Tad stood and stared at her blankly, following her up the stairs. Quentin making sure he was secure, and on his way to being cared for by the servants turned and followed the two servants out of the door. Running behind the two servants he arrived to hear Edward wailing and crying from below, rushing down the pathway with the two male servants Quentin came up short to see Edward holding Joanna’s broken dead boy and rocking in the waves with her holding her close. Quentin turned and shook his head, this was too personal for him and painful for his brother. Speaking softly he spoke to Isaiah, “Take the blanket and let him cover her body, then help him bring her back to the house.” Quentin turned feeling sick to his stomach.

He was not ready to go back to Collinwood so he set his direction for the Old House and his cousin.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Collinwood  
Edward sobbing followed the servants back to the big house with his beloved Joanna wrapped in a blanket. Edith stood watching stoically calm on the top landing as the body was carried into the foyer. She showed no remorse or regrets only a calm superior attitude. Edith was almost happy with this set of circumstances, in her mind she thought, “One down, one to go.” Then Silas shifted his burden and Beth watched the pale hand drop from under the blanket. 

Swallowing hard she lowered her eyelashes over her gaze, when from behind a cold air wafted around he body, a soft hissing voice whispered in her ear, “You think you have won on this Edith, I assure you I am here to stay until they all know what you did.” Edith gasped and turned and seeing the water shrouded figure of Joanna Miles behind her. Covering her mouth Edith turned and rushing from the landing to her room. Edith fled down the hallway turning to look over her shoulder to see if the apparition was following her. She scurried along the hallway trying to get away from Joanna. But Joanna’s moans followed her down the hallway. Her voice echoed around calling in a whispering voice, “Murderer! Murderer, I will haunt you to your death! Murderer!” 

Edith rushed into her room and slammed her door behind her and locking it and turned to come up short startled to see Gabriel standing before her without his wheel chair. “My God, you can walk?” Gabriel laughed, and began to pace the room turning to look over his shoulder watching his loving wife stand in the middle of the room looking pale and shaken. He chuckled softly and walked to peer out the window.

“You appear to be upset over something my dear, would it be the fact that you just murdered Joanna Miles by throwing her off Widow’s Hill?” He laughed and turned to look her in the eye and saw she was shocked by his revelation, “How did I know, my dear Edith, I have been standing here watching you for the past hour while you duped that poor stupid girl out to the hill and then watched as you tossed her over the side of said hill. You have been a very bad girl all because you thought she was sleeping with Quentin?” He clicked his tongue and sighed deeply. “You are a fool Edith, this is what you are going to do.

He could not have planned this better than if he had contrived this himself. She stood shaking and he smiled, he enjoyed her fear of him and now she was trapped. “Please Gabriel you can not possibly turn me in to the authorities! I am your wife!” She hated having to plead with him. She watched anticipating what his reaction would be to her pleas.

He stood unmoved; he smiled while he watched out her window. “No Edith you are going on a trip. There is a ship bound for England moored at the Collinsport docks. Now, you are going to pack your things and leave Collinwood and you will never return, if you don’t I will tell everyone what I saw and you can have an appointment with the hangman’s noose.” He had been so cold as he laid out his plans for her and she knew to plea with his further would be an effort in futility. She had to try one more time to reason with him, she could not leave Collinwood or never see Quentin again, she would die if that were to happen.

He turned to see her pale and shaken watching him, “I can’t leave here, I have no way of taking care of myself in England.” She walked to the edge of her bed and sat. “How can you do this to me Gabriel I am your wife!” She was scared and now she was caught in her own trap, she realized she had just reacted and had not plan out her actions very well. She watched him standing tall on his own two feet with his hands locked behind his back.

Gabriel was impassively watching the grounds and noting Quentin heading to the Old House and figuring he was headed to romance Cousin Barnabas’ wife. A part of him raged at this thought. Why did Quentin deserve all the beautiful women? Was it because he was a true Collins and not a bastard, his body tensed with this thought. He wanted Victoria and would make sure that she would belong to him and not Quentin. He just had to make sure she was not soiled by Quentin’s touch.   
Edith noting he appeared distracted, calculated that if she got him close enough to the window perhaps she could throw him out and watch him plunge to his death to the ground below the window, which was a good forty-foot drop on the slope. Standing Edith walked slowly towards him, coming up behind him, she estimated he was still weak from the time he had spent in his wheel chair. Drawing her arms up and around him in a hug she was surprised at the strength he showed by shrugging her off of him..

Turning with a hint of anger burning in his gaze he spoke out cruelly, “Quiet to the contrary Edith I can do this to you, I saw what you did to Joanna out there, “ He nodded to Widow’s Hill. “I saw you push her off that hill and watch her fall and die and then you calmly walked back here as if there was nothing wrong and you had just went for a stroll.” 

He felt her arms around him again and now she was inching up to his neck, Her fingers latched to his throat and she tried to strangle him. He threw her hands off and glared at her, “So this is how you wish to treat your poor loving husband? I think not Edith. Its time for a few home truths for us all.” He bent and jerked her up and shoved her to the door. Dragging her pleading down the hallway. Slamming open the door Gabriel stepped through pulling the struggling Edith with him. Obviously, with the sound of a door opening with such force had gained the attention of anyone in the foyer. Shoving Edit in front of him on the landing. From the foyer below the bailiff and Daniel and Edward stood, with poor Joanna’s body covered and lying on the floor. 

All eyes turned at the sound of a sobbing woman and Edward was the first to react, ‘Gabriel you can walk?” He turned to his father Daniel who looked upon his son and frowned deeply, “What is the about Gabriel? Why have you brought Edith held so tightly and obviously hurting from the pressure of your hold to this room?” Edward demanded being the gentleman as he was had seen enough pain to last him a lifetime. Daniel leaned on the table in the foyer and waited for his son to respond.

“I will not release her father for fear she may try to kill again! After tossing poor Joanna from the cliff she came to my room and thinking I was helpless she tried to choke me. She was as surprised as I was that I could stand to fight her off. “

The Bailiff and Edward were outraged looking from Edith to Gabriel. “Why would she do such a thing?” Daniel asked stepping forward. He was pale, shaken and filled with anger that someone under his roof could do such a thing. All eyes were pinned to the woman now huddled against the banister,

“Because she was jealous, she thought Quentin was holding affections for Joanna, when in fact Quentin has sent Joanna back to Edward for a second chance at love. She wanted me gone so it would leave the door open for her to entrap Quentin in her deadly clutches.” Gabriel stepped forward grabbing her by her hair and growled. “Tell them what you did!” 

Edith looked down at the all and her eyes widen. There rising up out of her cold dead body standing next covered in her watery shroud was Joanna looking up at her accusingly. “You did this because of Quentin? I had no designs on Quentin t’was Edward I loved and wanted to be with for the rest of my life, but you stole that from me.” She raised an accusing finger pointing it towards Edith. 

Edward looked from Edith to his father and saw him pale and swayed on his feet. Reaching forward to hold his father’s arm while he waited for Edith to say something. Gabriel seeing all eyes was on him continued with his dramatic revelations.  
“I watched from her bedroom while she lured poor defenseless Joanna to Widow’s Hill.” Gabriel stepped forward and towered over the huddled form of Edith holding onto the bannister for support.

He reached forward and grabbed Edith’s arm jerking her up to peer into her tear filled gaze. He lowered his voice and spoke with a strength that surprised them all, the passion of his speech not going unnoticed by others that had gathered in the hallway to hear what all the fuss had been about. “Because this woman, my loving wife pushed poor Joanna from the cliff and watched her die. She murdered Joanna without any remorse, she is the reason Joanna died.” 

Harriett had stepped into the foyer from the dining hall. She had heard a scream and was concerned that Daniel had not returned to his lunch. Entering the foyer, Harriet looked at the shrouded body of a woman lying on the floor, then to her husband and son, turning her eyes upon Edith being held by Gabriel who was standing and heard Gabriel proclaim that Edith had murdered Joanna. She turned her pain filled gaze from the covered body to peer up to the drama unfolding on the upstairs landing. “No,” she gasped and held her hand to her mouth in shock.

Edith could not drag her gaze away from the ghostly figure of Joanna standing over her body pointing that finger at her, she kept mouthing over and over “Murderer, murderer!” Edith shook her head, this could not be happening to her, this was not happening she was in some kind of horrible nightmare world and she had to escape. Pulling against Gabriel’s hold she cried out “Let me go!” 

Gabriel when Edith pulled against his hold shoved Edith forward against the rail, when he did, the rail cracked and then buckled against Edith’s weight and Edith felt herself falling forward down to the floor below. Her scream reacted and echoed off the walls being heard all the way to Daphne’s room where she had retired after telling her sister good bye and to grieve in her own way in her room.

Edith hit with a sickening thud after hitting the floor Edith broke her neck. Joanna smiled watching Edith die instant. She had been avenged. Joanna’s ghost faded from Edith’s dying view. Gabriel sighed and shook his head. “I did not intend for that to happen. For that I am truly sorry, she pulled from me and I fear her weight sent her tumbling over the rail. But this I can assure you I did see her from the upstairs bedroom push poor Joanna from the hill, they appeared to be arguing and . . . “ His words were interrupted by the soft gasp and pain filled doe eyed gaze of Daphne standing in the doorway.

Daphne pushed past Gabriel and rushed down the stairs to lay over her sister’s broken body. “No! No, that cannot be! Why would she do that to my beautiful sister?” She looked around for an explanation. Gabriel stepped forward and slowly walked down the stairs using the rail for support and when he got to the bottom step he was truly sorry that Daphne had to see this but he also wanted the truth out. 

“Because she thought Joanna was trying to steal Quentin’s affections from her, she and Quentin have been having an affair for the past year. She was consumed with her jealousy and wanted her and me out of the way. That was why she tried to strangle me.” He moved his cravat and showed the scratch marks. Scratch marks that Edith had made earlier on his neck when she tried to choke him. Harriet gasped and turned her face away from Gabriel and began to sob. 

The Bailiff having heard enough was ready to proclaim the two deaths a murder and accidental death after he spoke with the Coroner in regards to his inquiry. “Mr. Collins, I will make my report to the Judge advocate and I am satisfied that this is a case of murder and an accidental death. What do you want done with the bodies?” A servant had quietly entered the room and covered Edith’s body and withdrew to within calling distance but had to tell the others that had gathered what she had over heard. 

Daniel held onto his weeping wife and spoke softly, “We will bury them in the family crypt. Thank you James for coming so quickly and for at least keeping this as quiet as possible.” He turned and led the sobbing Harriett into the drawing room. Gabriel stood up and stepped to Daphne who held tightly to him and he helped her up the stairs to her room. 

 

Old House

Quentin walked up to the door and knocked, turning he noticed that the front lawn had not been tended and that the area still held a desolate feel to it, perhaps his cousin and his wife would see to the grounds after they finished with the house. The door opened and Barnabas stood there watching him study the grounds. “Cousin Quentin do come in.” He stepped aside to allow Quentin access to the foyer. Closing the door he escorted Quentin into the drawing room where Victoria stood with her back to him, turning she smiled. 

“Quentin how nice of you to pay us a visit. Do come in and may I get you a drink?” Quentin smiled tensely and nodded.

“Thank you, that would be generous of you. I fear I come bearing sad news. There has been another tragic accident and Widows Hill has claimed another victim.” Vicki paused in getting him a drink and Barnabas frowned. 

“Perhaps we should continue this conversation in the library Cousin Quentin shall we adjourn there.” Barnabas extended his hand to the louvered doors and escorted him down the hallway to his library. Victoria followed behind them and waited for them to enter Barnabas’ library. Victoria followed behind them while she waited for Quentin to sit and Barnabas to take up his position behind the desk and sat in his chair. 

Handing Quentin a glass of bourbon she turned and poured the special red liquid for Barnabas into his glass and handed it to him. He looked at the glass and her and lifted the glass to smell it and smiled, she had procured him some blood. Lifting the glass he sipped and waited for Quentin to speak.

“Earlier a tragic accident occurred, Edward’s intended, Daphne’s sister fell from Widow’s Hill.” He lifted his glass and drank it down in a quick swallow. Vicki clutched her neck and looked down, the woman that looked so much like her was dead.

Glancing to Barnabas she spoke softly, “I will go over there now to see what we can do. Will you be all right here with Barnabas?” She had laid a hand of comfort on Quentin’s shoulder and watched him nod. He was still a little shocked because he had been with her a little earlier and sent her back to Edward’s warm embrace. Now she was dead and he some how felt a need to feel responsible. Vicki quietly left the room and walked to the front drawing room stopping long enough to pull on a shawl and head out of the door.

Collinwood

Victoria rushed down the well-traveled and worn pathway between Collinwood and the old house. Hurrying, she felt sick to her stomach at the thought that bright vibrant girl was dead. Arriving under the porte conchere and finding the door ajar, she stepped in and came up short, two covered bodies lay on the floor one wet the other with a the blond hair visible from the blanket that covered her. “Oh my.” She spoke out loud not realizing it and glanced up to see Gabriel standing in the doorway of the drawing room. 

“Please Victoria, do come in and join mother and father they are very upset.” Victoria stepped around the bodies only momentarily stooping down next to the one she knew to be Joanna and gently touched the blanket. Her concern and her consideration for the dead was written on her features. Victoria walked to Gabriel and felt him grab her close for a hug and he sighed deeply and inhaled the scent of her hair and affecting the proper soulful sound of mourning the loss of a loved one spoke softly, “Edith murdered our dear Joanna and then she fell to her death from the landing.” Vicki glanced to the landing and saw the broken railing. 

“Murdered her? How, why, I mean I am so sorry, but why and how did this happen.” Gabriel heard his mother speak in her tear-choked voice.

“Gabriel dear son do allow Victoria to enter and join us for tea. Although it’s a horrible time and situation to walk in upon it is still good manners to be social to one of our own.” Gabriel still holding onto Vicki led her to the sofa and seated her, and then stepping back he walked to an apparently inconsolable Edward sitting and sobbing into his hands. Harriett turned Victoria and sighed softly, “I fear you did not catch us at our best dear child. Did Barnabas send you?” 

Gabriel took up position at the French windows looking out over the front lawn. He was absently listening to the conversation between his mother and Victoria the whole time his own anger at knowing he was not a true Collins ate away inside of him. He was free of Edith now and that left him available to possibly be there to console perhaps Victoria when Barnabas died. He hid his smile while he planned his next actions. Now that they all knew he could walk, he had nothing to stand in his way to put into plan what he had intended, glancing briefly over his shoulder he caught her profile in the slowly setting sunlight as day gave way to evening. He could hear the activities of the servants as they collected the bodies and would take them to their rooms to prepare them for burial. 

Victoria watched his back and then looked to Edward, “Mr. Collins you cannot imagine the sorrow and the heartfelt condolences I extend on behalf of my husband and myself. If there is anything that I can do, please do not hesitate to ask, I will do whatever I may.” Vicki leaned forward to lay her hand over Edwards and he sniffed laid his hand over hers and smiled sadly.

“Thank you Cousin Victoria, and do please call me Edward. You are so and too kind. All I would ask is that you go check on Daphne she had taken her sister’s death rather hard.” Victoria nodded, and stood. 

“If someone would show me to her room?” Harriet stood patting Daniel’s shoulder. 

“Follow me my dear, Edward and Gabriel watch your father until I return.” Harriett escorted Victoria up to the second floor and down the hallway where Roger had his room in her time to across the hall from that room. Knocking softly, Victoria could hear poor Daphne sobbing. 

“Daphne, its Victoria dear.” Harriet sighed and turned. 

“When you are done please join us in the drawing room.” Harried walked slowly down the hallway and from sight, Vicki heard the door open and a tear soaked Daphne opened the door and rushed into Victoria’s arms.

“Oh Victoria it is horrible, they say that Edith pushed my sweet Joanna from the cliff and she then died by falling from the bannister in a struggle with Gabriel.” Her body shook so hard while she cried out her grief in Victoria’s arms. Vicki held her and turned her gently to lead her to her room and her bed. 

“Daphne, poor sweet Daphne, come my dear.” Vicki helped her lie down and then set on the side of the bed next to her. Gently stroking her hair from her face and speaking soothingly to her. “I am here for you if you need me.” Another soft knock on the door and Vicki stood to open the door and peer at a stout little man with a derby hat and looking at Victoria with surprise. 

“Hello, I am Dr. Lewis, I was told Miss Harridge was in need of my attention?” Vicki stepped aside to allow the doctor to enter the room and check Daphne. Waiting outside the room, she paced the hallway when she felt an odd sensation and looked up to the west wing. There standing in the shadows was a figure of a man. 

“Come to me my darling little one, come to me now.” He extended his white hand and beckoned her to him. Vicki felt compelled to go to him, he lifted his cape and they were gone. 

Old House

Petofi had been on the hill and watched Edith shove off that woman that looked like the one he was sure had come to end his life. What was her name? “Joanna?” Yes that was it he whispered and waited while the whole drama of the discovery of the body was made and then Quentin’s trek to the old house. He had followed, and had listened in to the conversation between him and Victoria, then they had gone to another part of the house when a short time later, hidden in the shrubs he watched Victoria scuttle out of the house and head to the big house. He smiled, he would wait for her return and then he would end her life before she ended his life. He was not going to take the chance that she had not come to this time to end him, he would have ended her had he the chance all over again. 

Shifting to a more comfortable position he never knew what it was that hit him, all he knew that there was this burst of light and pain that filled his head and he slumped down to be picked up and carried from the old house. The figures that waited for his body walked furtively around the wagon and covered his body with an old horse blanket and drove off into the gathering shadows. Petofi did not feel the harsh rumble of the wagon or the pot holes that each wheel managed to catch and roll out of with a jolt. He was not aware of the soft guttural language that was being spoken around him. 

He was gratefully unaware that he was not tied to a stake and that there was dried brush and wood being stacked at his feet. He did not realize that they were preparing him for a burning at the stake. The dark figure appeared in the center of the woods holding an unconscious Victoria, he gently laid her in the back of the wagon and he turned to his minions and spoke softly, “Leave us, I wish to speak to my old friend alone. I will summon you when we are ready to being his purification.” Vlad watched the gypsies that were under his control bow and then leave, taking Victoria with them. He had already instructed them to return her to the Old House unharmed and to await further orders.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Deep in Collinwood Forest

Vlad sat before the unconscious man tied to a stake surrounded by firewood and kindling. He watched the man with his over indulged body presented so much like a stuff pig for roasting, his head bent forward, his double chin holding his head up and the signs of early heart failure not far away. He should have died or changed bodies over fifty years ago. Making himself comfortable he waited for Andréas to awaken from his unnatural sleep. He leaned back and slowly began to go over his plans, once he had dealt with this one he would claim what he had come to claim to begin with his and those that were of his original blood. He had found Victoria to be very delectable and unusual she bore the mark of the day-walkers but she craved no blood and she smelled of death. He smiled thinking of how she felt in his arms and to her scent.

“Unnngh…” Petofi moaned and as he opened his eyes he realized he was bound and he as facing his worse nightmare. His eyes popped open and he stiffened his body and then tried to work his body free of the bonds. “Vlad! Why are you doing this?”

Vlad Tepes folded his arms across his chest and then he folded his ankles over each other and he smiled and it was a most unpleasant smile. “Andréa, your arrogance has finally caught up with you and I thought by loosing your hand you would have learned your lesson.” Unfolding his body he pushed himself up to his full height and for Petofi he felt Vlad had grown taller somehow over the years he certainly had a reputation that was bigger than life. “I have come because of you and your tiresome ways and arrogance in thinking you could get that hand returned and the fact you have been selectively killing off King Johnny’s family members, now you know and I know that is not going to happen. They are under my protection and the fact you have sent your man Aristides to attack Julianka has distressed me to no end.” 

He snapped his fingers and two of Julianka’s brothers brought out Aristides trussed up and gagged. “You see, even now Aristides knows he did something wrong by the way he tried to say you ordered him to kill her.”

“How was I to know that she was King Johnny’s daughter?” Andréa was also trying to save his skin. To which he soon discovered his lie was easily uncovered. 

“That is not true Andréa and you know it and I know it. You know very well who is a part of King Johnny’s clan and family. You knew when Magda came to Collinwood and when Julianka came with her who she was and who Magda was, so do not try to convince me otherwise do you understand I know all and I am not happy that you planned to take Victoria’s heart thinking you would take the heart of the Romano’s through her. You should not take anything and everything I do so literally.” Vlad withdrew the long blade with the jewels in the hilt; the large ruby that appeared to glow was in the shape of a heart. Brandishing it high above his head he called out in a voice that echoed into the darkness of the night. “I call upon the heart of the Romano’s to avenge the death of Julianka Romano and demand she be returned to this earth as she was!” The blade began to glow from the heart shape ruby to the tip of the blade. 

A light shout out from the blade into the night sky splitting the darkness that had settled overhead and was descending down upon them. From the darkness of those swirling clouds a small figure wearing a hooded cloak stepped and appeared to walk from the thin air down to the stand next to Vlad. Throwing back the cloak was Julianka Her eyes were milky white, her body stiff and pale as alabaster. She turned those milky white sightless eyes upon Petofi; opening her mouth she pointed at him and let out a horrendous screech. “Muuuurrrrddderrrr!” 

Vlad frowned and looked upon Petofi, “You chose to attack her when she had given away her powers to her grand daughter and for that you must die.” The blade shook and was ripped from Vlad’s hand and it sailed through the air and landed in Petofi’s chest impaling his heart and pinning him to th stake he had been bound. The sword then was forcefully by an unseen hand with drawn from Petofi’s body and flew back towards Julianka, with the blade flying towards her, as it got within an inches of her chest she reached up with her right hand and caught the blade in her hand, it glowed again and slowly, the milky white eyes began to shimmer.

It vibrated in her grasp, the glow slowly traveled up her arm to encompass her body and shimmer into a brilliant light. When the light surrounded her body her eyes began to clear into those storm tossed colored eyes that marked her as a descendent of Petofi. The color to her skin began to slowly grown normal for her body, turning she leaned heavily into Vlad and spoke his name softly, “My lover, my own… I have returned to you once again.” She closed her eyes and collapsed into his hold. 

“Yes, my young one and you have brought me something special, hope for our future, your grand daughter must prepare to go back home, but not until I settle another old score.” Turning he handed her over to one of the men that had held Aristide. Vlad turned his gaze on Aristides, “Release him, and you leave this country and do not return is that understood?” he took the blade from the tightly clinched hand of Julianka and with one swipe cut the ropes in to. “Now do not let me see you in this area again, is that understood?” 

Aristides bowed to him and kissed his ring on his finger turned his gaze over the man that had held him captive for his own whims and desires and nodded, turned and was gone from sight. Aristides planned to come back and gather the ashes once they burned Petofi’s body and he would take them back to Romania. Once he had arrived there he would find a way to bring his master back. For Aristides in the truest sense of the word is a slave to his master and will not know how to live without his influence in his life. Slithering off into the darkness and shadows Aristides marks his escape so he may return. 

Watching him leave Strahd nods to the remaining gypsy. “Torch him and stay until he is dust, then report to me at the Old house in the tunnels between the two houses. I have unfinished business with Barnabas Collins.” He turned and walked towards the shadows that flowed around him like a film of oil that had taken on life. He was directed and set to get to the old house and to his coffin before daylight. Taking flight he directs his attention towards the large manor house that is close to the big house on the hill. 

Collinwood

Daphne lay across her bed, her body was numb and her life was shattered. She could not bring herself to admit or deny that she wanted to blame Quentin for this happening to Joanna, rising with some difficulty, she sat on the edge of the bed, her hands curled over the side of the mattress, her head bent in abject grief as she recalled growing up so happy with her beloved little sister. Pushing off the side of the bed, Daphne clutches her kerchief to her nose; walking to the window she stands looking distantly to the horizon over the ocean. “Oh Joanna, my sweet beautiful sister. I wish it had been me.” She cries into her kerchief and folds her arms under her breasts sniffing and crying into her the kerchief. A soft knock on the door and she turned to face the closed door. “Victoria is that you?” 

Daphne smoothed her hand over her dress and her hair tucking the kerchief into her sleeve and walked to the door only to hear Gabriele’s voice on the other side. “No my dear Daphne it is I Gabriel.” Daphne opened the door to peer up in to his inquisitive stare. “I actually came to collect you and Cousin Victoria to join us in the drawing room, did she leave?” He was irritated she managed to get past him. Daphne smoothed down her dress and stepped past Gabriel.

“I am sure Victoria said she would bring me back some tea so maybe she took the servants stairs and went to the kitchen.” She dabbed her nose with kerchief. Taking her hand she gently laid it on the upper part by the bend of Gabriel’s arm and allowed him to escort her down the stairs. His intent was to take her to the drawing room and go find cousin Victoria. He was not about to allow his opportunity to garner her sympathy as being a grieving widow pass him by.   
Tunnels between Collinwood and the Old House

Vlad stood over the open coffin he looked upon the face of the woman that would one day be the next to inherit Collinwood. He had heard rumors that she had traveled through time and he had heard rumors as to whose daughter she really was and how she came to be born as she was. What he had not heard was how she had attained her powers that were not equal to his powers but were impressive. He gently stroked her cheek, his fingertips drawn over the lips, to her jaw line and there he saw what he has suspected, the light bruising that must be from Barnabas Collins, he had been feeding on her. This he could not allow. “Victoria open your eyes and look upon me and know me.” He watched her eyelashes flutter and then her eyes opened. He smiled as she let her vampiric eyesight glow a little red as they adjusted to the cave and then shift to look at him. 

“Who are you?” She sat up and realized she had been in a coffin, which was unnerving to her. He assisted her out of the coffin to stand in front of him. “I am your forefather thought your grandmother Julianka, she who was born to a lovely gypsy girl that married King Johnny Romano, you are tied to me through the Romano’s. You must understand after we part ways, you will not remember any of this but you are a part of my future and my history and if ever I need you or your help, you will come to my aid and you will not be able to resist my command. Now you must take me to Barnabas Collins, I must speak with him over what he has done to you.”

Vicki looked confused, “Done to me? He has done nothing that I did not allow. What are you talking about I don’t understand.” Vlad Tepes looked deep into her gaze and then closed his eyes.

Reaching forward with his hand he laid it on her forehead and said softly “Show me my child.” He connected with her mind in this state he could shift through her memories and he nodded, he saw where she allowed him to feed from her to help keep him safe and he also saw where she confronted Petofi on the hill over looking the storm tossed sea He could feel her revulsion over what she was expected to do and how she dreaded facing Petofi again and what he had done to their family in the future. Then he realized that she was to marry Barnabas Collins in the future. 

He sighed and nodded, removed his hand from her forehead and spoke softly, “Time now to forget my dear, I will accept he has treated you well and that you and he shall wed some day but this in the deepest recesses of your mind will know if I need you, you will come to me and you will join me at my castle and sit at my side.” He bent kissed her lightly on her lips and then whispered in the ancient tongue of Transylvania for her to go and return to Collinwood and to go straight to bed and never worry over Petofi again. He watched her go by instinct to the tunnel that would take her home and to her bed.

Old House Library

Quentin stood and stretched his back. Turning to Barnabas he smiled, “Thank you cousin Barnabas for listening to me and understanding. I really believe that I have found the one true love that has meaning in my life and that is Daphne, but now with the death of her sister, I am not so sure that it is the right time for us to continue out relationship.” 

Barnabas stood with him, his look was one of grave contemplation. “Why not now, it is the perfect time to be there and to support her through her hours of grief that is to come Cousin Quentin, perhaps you need to reconsider your thoughts. I know that should Victoria be in such distress nothing could keep me from her side. I know that together we could face any adversity. Apart we just suffer longer, so it would be for Daphne.” 

Collinwood

Quentin considered his cousin’s words for a moment and then nodded, “I understand and perhaps you are right. I shall have to consider this and perhaps I shall sleep on it tonight.” Quentin shook his cousin’s hand and allowed him to escort him to the door and out. Quentin was lost in thought on his way back to Collinwood and when he arrived at Collinwood, he was met by his father who was still very upset and he was shocked to see Gabriel was standing. “Well it is about time you came home Quentin, where have you been the local brothel?” Gabriel was as sarcastic as ever as he directed his venomous attack on Quentin. 

“Why brother, you seem to be particularly nasty since you found your legs, perhaps I liked you better crippled at least then I knew you were untouchable for a challenge.” Quentin had gone to the liquor sideboard and poured himself a generous portion of a drink. “I suppose now your wife should be happy that she can have a full man and not half of one.” He turned and saw his mother’s face had paled and she was starting to weep into her kerchief, while Daphne, who had been standing by the window turned and looked at Quentin. 

“You have not heard have you? You don’t know do you?” She walked to Quentin’s side and spoke with soft sincerity. “It was Edith that shoved poor Joanna off of Widow’s Hill in a jealous rage. She thought that Joanna held an affection for you Quentin, so Edith killed her and then she fell over the bannister on the landing upstairs and broke her neck, she died Quentin, she killed Joanna and then she died.” Daphne began to weep and Quentin was feeling her pain so deeply he automatically put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his hold. As he held her close he felt her stiffen and turn to run from the room in tears.

Quentin set his glass down and looked at those in the drawing room. “I apologize to you Gabriel obviously I did not know, father mother forgive me but I must go and comfort Daphne she needs my attention more than you.” He turned in pursuit of Daphne, seeing she had run from the house and was running towards the pathway that would lead her to Widow’s Hill. Stretching out those long legs he scurried after Daphne.

“Daphne! Daphne!” Watching her turn her head seeing him come after her, she lifted her skirts and picked up her speed dashing away from Quentin, she just did not want any more conflict or trouble at this time, all she needed was time to deal with her grief. Quentin caught up with her and grabbed for her wrist, to tug her back against his chest and hold her sobbing, trembling body against his. “Oh my poor darling sweet Daphne.” ‘

Daphne clung to him sobbing long drawn out grief filled sobs against his shoulder. He held her with one arm pressed to his body while his other hand delicate and with such tenderness stroked her hair and he spoke softly against her ear, “Let it out my sweet, kind, gentle and darling one. I am here for you. I will always be here for you.” His words penetrated her mind and she pushed back sniffing and hiccupping slightly from her crying to hard on his shoulder.

“How is it possible that you can be such a cad one day Quentin and the next you are so kind and caring? You make me crazy, you confuse me and you cause me to doubt my own good common sense, which tells me I should run to that point out there and jump to get away from you!” She looked deeply into his gaze and he held her gaze. That slow so easy smile he had used so often to seduce and cajole women into his bed and he into their hearts were now drowning in the look this woman had for him. 

Lifting his hands to cup her face to his palms he looked into her eyes and smiled, “Today and every day from this day forward and until the end of time, I am your devoted servant Daphne Harridge. I am so totally and completely in love with you that for me this is a new beginning and a new experience. I can honestly say that I have never felt this way about any one woman before and you have captivated my heart, my soul and my life. If you were to walk or run to that point and fling yourself from it, I fear my love I would have to follow and jump right behind you just because I know that I could not live another day in this life without you as a part of my life.”

His words were said with such a feeling of genuine sincerity that Daphne was completely overwhelmed by his confession. Her eyes over bright with the unshed tears and now a wonder of love and hearing Quentin say he loved her was so awe inspiring that she was for this moment totally speechless. The shine in her eyes of the love she shared for this man, and the slow shy smile she now allowed to edged the corners of her mouth. 

Lowering his lips to her mouth he head her face pinioned between his palms as he took liberties he hoped would not result in an instant slap to the face and was pleasantly surprised to feel her arms go around his neck and her body pressed to his and her kiss returned with as much passion as he had just shown her. Breaking the kiss he laughed, “Well I guess I should be glad that you did not slap my face. Come my sweet one you do not need to go back into that den of vipers, join me and we can walk to Cousin Barnabas and Victoria’s home. I am sure they would not mind our staying there until you are recovered and more of a mind to face the unfortunate details and duties of preparing poor Joanna’s funeral.” 

Turning her to tuck her hand in the bend of his arm he slowly escorted her to the pathway that would take them away from widow’s hill to the old house. Daphne was feeling embarrassed by such an open display of her affections for the handsome Collins, she tucked her chin and watched her steps kick her skirt forward. “Quentin, I appreciate your tenderness and your concern but I am not sure how the family will view our relationship, you are the black sheep of the family.” She chanced to look into his curious gaze and noted there was hinting at the edge of his lips a patient sardonic smile.

“Why not allow me to deal with my family, I am sure it will shock them to discover that I am as in love with you as I could be with any respectable beautiful young woman such as yourself my dearest one.” He had paused and turned to face her taking his free hand to lay it gently over her fingers that held tightly to his upper arm just above the bend in his arm. “I could not quite believe it myself when I realized how important you, and I mean this Daphne, how important that you had become to me and my life.” He laughed, “Why for the first time I have decided that I might seek permission from father to take a hand in the family business. Can you imagine his reaction that I should take an interest let alone wish to be a part of this family’s daily activities?” 

He saw that had made her smile and her eyes had lit up. “I would love to take you to the house by the sea, put you in it as mistress of hat house and as my wife. He bent to accent that statement with a brush of his lips across her lips. “I love you so much Daphne that I would not wish to be a respectable member of this community unless you were to be my wife!” He saw the shock of this confession written in the lift of her brows and the widening of her eyes. “Yes, I know that shocks you not half as much as it shocks me. I care for no other and would wish to have no other but you as my wife and the mother of my children and my children’s children as their grandmother!” He laughed he was filled with so much love and excitement at the prospect and it even startled him to think of himself as a normal family man with a lot of responsibilities. 

Turning her he began to walk her towards the old house extolling his dreams of their happy future together little realizing others were listening to his conversation and not finding it appropriate that he should be this happen when he was responsible for the death of his first wife. Magda Rakosi was not amused seeing him so happy and carefree and holding to the young Daphne’s arm and patting her hand as he should have her sister Jennie’s hand. She narrowed her gaze and muttered so softly, “You will pay Quentin Collins, I swear you will pay. You may not suffer the curse but your first born and their first born afterwards shall know the pain of the werewolf on a full moon night.” 

Turning she marched off into the darkening woods still upset that Quentin should be so happy when her sister laid cold and dead in a crypt that housed the other Collins dead. Sandor was no where to be found. Magda’s thoughts were darker and more focused than she had ever been before. Heading to the deepest section of the forest she met up with her tribe. They were all appearing to be upset. “Why are you all so upset?” She walked into the middle of the camp and paused pivoting around to look at those gathered around the fire pit. Sitting and staring straight ahead sat Julianka. Magda moved closer her eyes widened looking at the near deathlike gaze she held staring straight a head. “She is dead!” 

Magda fell back the back of her hand held over her mouth and looking at the lovely young woman. Slowly Julianka turned her head and blinked then turned her head and looked back to the fire. “I was dead now I live and he has returned to restore your tribe, you would do well to listen to him Magda Rakosi when he comes to speak with us again.”


End file.
